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What does��fatherly mean?

Fatherly is an adjective that most commonly means like a father. It’s especially used in a positive way to describe someone as being kind, nurturing, and protective—like a good father who loves and cares for his child(ren).Describing someone as fatherly often implies that they listen and give good advice—it’s perhaps most commonly used in the phrase fatherly advice. The word paternal can be used to mean the same thing, but it can also be used in a more neutral way that doesn’t imply these positive things, and the same is true of the word parental (which can be used regardless of the parent’s gender).Sometimes, fatherly means of or suitable for a father, as in fatherly instincts. Fatherly is most often used to describe fathers themselves, but it can be applied to someone who’s not a father, as in After my dad died, I started relying on Joe for fatherly support. Fatherly was once used as an adverb meaning in the manner of a father, but this is no longer common.Fatherly is one of many similar adjectives based on family relations, including motherly, grandfatherly, grandmotherly, brotherly, and sisterly.Example: When my stepdad first moved in with us, I could tell that he was trying really hard to be fatherly, and it showed me that he cared.