Meaning & use
maternal figures
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Meaning
nounplural
Women who act like mothers or are seen as motherly role models, often not the actual mother.
Grammar: Plural noun; use 'a maternal figure' for one. It often takes a plural verb: 'Maternal figures are important for a child's development.'
Patterns
- a maternal figure
- maternal figures in someone's life
- provide maternal figures
After her mother died, her aunt became an important maternal figure for her.
In many cultures, grandmothers and aunts serve as maternal figures.
The novel explores how children seek maternal figures when they feel lost.
Common combinations
- strong maternal figure
- She was a strong maternal figure for all the children in the neighborhood.
- maternal figure in someone's life
- His grandmother was the only maternal figure in his life.
- lack of maternal figures
- The study examined the effects of a lack of maternal figures on young boys.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mother figure
- More common and slightly less formal; it means the same but is used more often in everyday speech.
- caregiver
- Broader term that can refer to anyone who provides care, not specifically a motherly woman.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: maternal figures or paternal figures?
maternal figures vs paternal figures
These are fatherly role models, not motherly ones. Make sure to use 'maternal' for women and 'paternal' for men.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'After her parents divorced, her grandmother became a _____ for her.'
Choose one answer.
Option 0 is correct because it refers to one motherly person (her grandmother). Option 1 is plural and doesn't fit 'a'. Option 2 means a fatherly figure, which is wrong here. Option 3 is a spelling error: 'material' means physical, not motherly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “maternal figures”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.