| Library / English Dictionary |
MATERNALISM
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Motherly care; behavior characteristic of a mother; the practice of acting as a mother does toward her children
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("maternalism" is a kind of...):
aid; attention; care; tending (the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something)
Derivation:
maternalistic (showing maternal instincts)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The quality of having or showing the tenderness and warmth and affection of or befitting a mother
Example:
the girl's motherliness made her invaluable in caring for the children
Synonyms:
maternal quality; maternalism; maternity; motherliness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("maternalism" is a kind of...):
parental quality (a quality appropriate to a parent)
Attribute:
maternal (characteristic of a mother)
Derivation:
maternalistic (showing maternal instincts)
