01 n. The relation of a father to his child; fathership; fatherhood; family headship; as, the divine paternity.
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1.
The relation of a father to his child; fathership; fatherhood; family headship; as, the divine paternity.“The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent no other dominion than paternity and eldership.” — Sir W. Raleigh.
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2.
Derivation or descent from a father; male parentage; as, the paternity of a child.
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3.
Origin; authorship.“The paternity of these novels was . . . disputed.” — Sir W. Scott.