- the fact or state of being a father
- (as modifier): a paternity suit was filed against the man
- descent or derivation from a father
- authorship or origin: the paternity of the theory is disputed
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pa•ter•ni•ty /pəˈtɜrnɪti/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Developmental Biologythe state of being a father;
fatherhood. - origin or descent from a father.
adj. [before a noun]
- Lawof or relating to a legal dispute in which a woman accuses a man of having fathered her child:a paternity suit.
pa•ter•ni•ty
(pə tûr′ni tē),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
- Developmental Biologythe state of being a father;
fatherhood. - derivation or acquirement from a father.
- origin or authorship.
adj.
- Lawnoting or pertaining to a legal dispute in which an unwed mother accuses a man of being the father of her child: a paternity suit.
- Late Latin paternitās. See paternal, -ity
- late Middle English paternite 1400–50
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
paternity /pəˈtɜːnɪtɪ/ n
'paternity' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
affiliate
- compaternity
- filiate
- filiation
- numinous
- paternity leave
- paternity test
- unfathered