motherly

[ muhth -er-lee ]

/ ˈmʌð ər li /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR motherly ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pertaining to, characteristic of, or befitting a mother; maternal: motherly solicitude.

like a mother: to take a motherly interest in an orphan.

adverb

in the manner of a mother.

Origin of motherly

before 1000; Middle English moderly, Old English mōdorlīc. See mother¹, -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM motherly

moth·er·li·ness, noun un·moth·er·ly, adjective

Words nearby motherly

motherhood, mothering, mothering sunday, motherland, motherless, motherly, motherwell, motherwell and wishaw, motherwort, mothproof, mothy

Example sentences from the Web for motherly

Inevitably, poor Kate is getting binders full of advice and motherly reminiscence.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum: What’s Ailing Kate Middleton |Kent Sepkowitz |December 4, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
“Diana did love him in a motherly way,” said a friend of the singer.

Diana Ross ‘Has No Intention of Taking’ Michael Jackson’s Kids |Allison Samuels |August 1, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Nonetheless, she saw years earlier that her eldest daughter had the motherly itch.

10 Palin Hits the Leakers Missed |Benjamin Sarlin, Samuel P. Jacobs |November 17, 2009 |DAILY BEAST
The mother's mood may be read at a glance: she is showing in one of a thousand tender ways her motherly affection for her child.

The Madonna in Art |Estelle M. Hurll

Georgina Hogarth, however, was sweet-tempered and of a motherly disposition.

Famous Affinities of History, Vol 1-4, Complete |Lyndon Orr
My motherly love to all such young ones as may be around you.

George Eliot's Life, Vol. III (of 3) |George Eliot
She took, she said, such a motherly interest in young men, especially in clergymen.

The Way of All Flesh |Samuel Butler
Persis could not resist a motherly question: "Is this an ideal trysting-place, do you think?"

What Will People Say? |Rupert Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for motherly

motherly

/ (ˈmʌðəlɪ) /

adjective

of or resembling a mother, esp in warmth, or protectiveness

Derived forms of motherly

motherliness, noun

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

motherly

adjective

adverb

Origin of motherly

OTHER WORDS FROM motherly

Words nearby motherly

Example sentences from the Web for motherly

British Dictionary definitions for motherly

adjective

Derived forms of motherly

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

motherly

adjective

adverb

Origin of motherly

OTHER WORDS FROM motherly

Words nearby motherly

Words related to motherly

Example sentences from the Web for motherly

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for motherly

adjective

Derived forms of motherly

British Dictionary definitions for motherly