motherly
adjective
moth·er·ly
ˈmə-t͟hər-lē 
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
Denning is a motherly hibernation pregnant wolves begin days before giving birth.
—
Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 21 June 2024
Biden’s State of the Union comes as foreign policy consensus fractures
Watch live: President Biden’s State of the Union speech
How trust, and some motherly advice, helped UConn’s Alex Karaban find his shot; Notes from win at Marquette
What will Biden say on immigration?
—Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
The party’s darling, 28-year-old Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, Marine’s niece, made a polite but noticeable exit from politics two days after her aunt’s defeat in May, citing her wish to go back to her motherly duties.
—Cécile Alduy, Foreign Affairs, 1 Feb. 2018
And what better way to do it than with a musical number fit for a motherly pop icon?
This weekend, the actress-comedian made her Saturday Night Live return just in time for Mother’s Day.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for motherly 
Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 21 June 2024
Biden’s State of the Union comes as foreign policy consensus fractures
Watch live: President Biden’s State of the Union speech
How trust, and some motherly advice, helped UConn’s Alex Karaban find his shot; Notes from win at Marquette
What will Biden say on immigration?
—Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
The party’s darling, 28-year-old Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, Marine’s niece, made a polite but noticeable exit from politics two days after her aunt’s defeat in May, citing her wish to go back to her motherly duties.
—Cécile Alduy, Foreign Affairs, 1 Feb. 2018
And what better way to do it than with a musical number fit for a motherly pop icon?
This weekend, the actress-comedian made her Saturday Night Live return just in time for Mother’s Day.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for motherly
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Motherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motherly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
motherly
adjective
moth·er·ly
ˈmət͟h-ər-lē
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother
motherly affection
2
: resembling a mother
motherliness
noun
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