Parental: Definition, Common Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：relating to parents (parental)

parental 🔊

/pəˈrentl/

adj.

about being a parent, or like what a parent does.

Parental love illustration showing a parent tying a child's shoelace in a sunny park

relating to parents 🔊

➕

/rɪˈleɪtɪŋ tuː ˈpeərənts/

adj.

Describes something that is connected to or characteristic of a parent or parents.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Derived from Latin 'parēns', meaning 'father' or 'mother', plus the adjective suffix '-al'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'parental' as the 'PARENT-ALL' set of qualities, describing everything related to being a parent.

📖 Example

The school suggests that bedtime reading should be a daily activity done with parental guidance. 🔊 This means the reading should happen under the supervision or involvement of a parent.

🔗 Collocations

parental responsibility – The legal duty of a parent to care for their child.

parental control – Features or settings that allow parents to manage a child's access to media or devices.

parental leave – Time off from work granted to a parent after the birth or adoption of a child.

🔄 Synonyms

maternal (adj.) – Relating specifically to a mother.

paternal (adj.) – Relating specifically to a father.

familial (adj.) – Relating to or characteristic of a family.

🚫 Antonyms

childless (adj.) – Having no children.

nonparental (adj.) – Not involving or coming from parents.

🌱 Derivatives

parent (n.) – A mother or father.

parentage (n.) – The identity and origins of one's parents.

parentally (adv.) – In a parental manner.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'parental' stems directly from the Latin noun 'parēns' (genitive 'parentis'), meaning 'a father or mother'. It entered English around the 15th century to describe the characteristic relationship and duties associated with being a parent.