paternity
/pəˈtəːnɪti
/noun [mass noun]
1(Especially in legal contexts) the state of being someone’s father: he refused to admit paternity of the child...
- If these rules on paternity lead to the identification of a legal father, then any other claimant will be excluded.
- The Child Support Agency and the Courts don't distinguish between married or single fathers if the father admits paternity.
- Inclusion of the man's name on the birth register as the child's father is prima facie evidence of his paternity.
Synonyms
fatherhood
rare fathership
2Paternal origin: his enemies made great play of the supposed dubiety of his paternity
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French paternité, from late Latin paternitas, from paternus 'relating to a father'.