| Fatherly 1. (a.) Like a father in affection and care; paternal; tender; protecting; careful. 2. (a.) of or pertaining to a father. Thesaurus Entries affectionate, amiable, ancestorial, ancestral, benevolent, benign, caring, fatherlike, friendly, grandfatherly, grandmotherly, grandparental, indulgent, kind, kindly, maternal, mother, motherlike, motherly, parent, parental, paternal, patriarchal, protective, sympathetic, understanding, warm, well-meaning |