| Parental 1. (a.) Of or pertaining to a parent or to parents; as, parental authority; parental obligations. 2. (a.) Becoming to, or characteristic of, parents; tender; affectionate; devoted; as, parental care. Thesaurus Entries adoring, affectionate, ancestorial, ancestral, conjugal, covering, custodial, defensive, demonstrative, devoted, faithful, fatherlike, fatherly, filial, fond, fostering, grandfatherly, grandmotherly, grandparental, guardian, guarding, husbandly, immunizing, languishing, lovelorn, lovesick, lovesome, loving, maternal, melting, mother, motherlike, motherly, parent, paternal, patriarchal, preventive, prophylactic, protecting, protective, romantic, safeguarding, screening, sentimental, sheltering, shielding, soft, tender, tutelary, uxorious, vigilant, watchful, wifely |