motherly

adjective

moth·​er·​ly ˈmə-t͟hər-lē How to pronounce motherly (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother
motherly advice
2
: resembling a mother : maternal
motherliness noun

Examples of motherly in a Sentence

She took her motherly duties very seriously. she showed a sweet motherly tenderness toward the tiny kitten she was taking care of
Recent Examples on the Web The Life section is chock full of motherly advice and the Pure Gold section is for everything else. Sarah Title, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024 In her late 60s, Ms. Glass looks at him with a motherly mix of pride and concern. Allen Arthur, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 Shanna Moakler is dishing on her pearls of motherly wisdom. USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 Edward Segarra Shanna Moakler is dishing on her pearls of motherly wisdom. USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 Yeoh is fierce and cutthroat in the role, alternately motherly and vicious from one turn to the next. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Jan. 2024 Ramirez’s potent portrayal of motherly desperation morphed into scorching rage makes this social realist thriller a devastating, hard-to-watch, yet unmissable experience. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Biles has previously spoken about being in foster care as a child, as well as being a motherly figure from a young age to younger sister Adria. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Dec. 2023 The Italian foodie has been proudly sharing her motherly love since Jade — whom De Laurentiis shares with ex Todd Thompson — was just a little girl appearing on De Laurentiis' Food Network series. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 10 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'motherly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of motherly was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near motherly

Cite this Entry

“Motherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motherly. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

motherly

adjective
moth·​er·​ly ˈmət͟h-ər-lē How to pronounce motherly (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother
motherly affection
2
: resembling a mother
motherliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on motherly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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