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Definition of paternity noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

paternity

noun
 
/pəˈtɜːnəti/
 
/pəˈtɜːrnəti/
[uncountable]
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  1. the fact of being the father of a child
    • He refused to admit paternity of the child.
    compare maternity
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryPaternity is used before these nouns:
    • leave
    • suit
    • test
    • …
    See full entry
    Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French paternité, from late Latin paternitas, from paternus ‘relating to a father’.
See paternity in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee paternity in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: paternity

Nearby words

pepper
noun
 
 
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