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maternel

maternal, motherly

adjective mah-tair-NEL Rare
People & Society Family

Usage Note

Maternel covers both the biological sense (grand-mère maternelle — maternal grandmother) and the emotional sense of a nurturing, motherly manner. École maternelle (often shortened to la maternelle) is France's state-run preschool for ages 3–6. The feminine form is maternelle.

Examples

"Elle a un instinct maternel très fort."

Natural Translation

She has a very strong maternal instinct.

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