Nonmaternal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A descriptor for interactions or influences that are independent of maternal figures
2. Describing anything that does not involve or pertain to a mother or motherhood
3. Relating to situations, behaviors, or influences that are separate from maternal care or roles

Etymology: "Nonmaternal" is a simple formation: the prefix "non-," meaning "not," attached to "maternal," the adjective from Latin "maternus," meaning "of a mother," which itself comes from "mater," mother. Put together, the word means simply "not maternal," and its meaning is no more elaborate than its parts. Because the prefix is productive in English, it can be attached to nearly any adjective that describes a relationship or quality, which is why "non-" words like this turn up so readily in technical and academic writing. Here the word is used to mark out a category of influence or interaction that does not come through a mother figure, such as a child's relationships with fathers, relatives, teachers or peers.

Synonyms: non-maternal, paternal, non-maternalistic

Antonyms: maternal