adverb
- in a way that relates to or is characteristic of a mother
- through the mother’s side of the family
Examples
- She smiled maternally at the crying child.
- The nurse spoke maternally to comfort the patient.
- He is maternally related to the famous author.
- Her grandmother maternally was from Ireland.
- She acted maternally toward her younger siblings.
- The teacher looked maternally at her students.
- He inherited the trait maternally from his mother’s family.