Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to paternalism.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Benevolent but sometimes intrusive; -- used often of governments and the administration of large organizations. See paternal government.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective the quality of being paternal, i.e. like a father, e.g. characterized by behaving in benevolent and yet intrusive manner towards underlings
  • adjective of, pertaining to, characteristic of or practicing paternalism

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective benevolent but sometimes intrusive

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

paternal +‎ -istic

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