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# paternity

noun (paternity, uncountable)

«paternity» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal, law) Being the father of a child. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#m1)
2. (adult life) «Paternity leave» is time off work that a father gets when his baby is born. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#m2)
3. (formal) Where an idea or work came from; who started it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#m3)

### In the lessons

In adult life dads take paternity leave to look after a new baby; in law a «paternity test» shows who a child's father is, sometimes in custody cases. In stories it may be a secret about who someone's father is. Phrases: «paternity leave», «paternity test», «paternity pay».

### Examples

- Dad took two weeks of paternity leave when my sister was born. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#x1)
- A paternity test can show who a baby's father is. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#x2)
- His workplace gives good paternity pay. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#x3)
- The court looked at the question of paternity. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#x4)
- Mum had maternity leave and Dad had paternity leave. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#x5)
- In the story, the boy's paternity was a mystery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable. Formal; in everyday speech people say «being a dad». Related: paternal (fatherly, or on the father's side: «paternal grandmother»). Opposite on the mother's side: maternity, maternal.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «paternity» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paternity/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«paternity» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/paternity.html) on Mova free.