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Definition of 'maternal instinct'

Word Frequency

maternal instinct in British

(məˈtɜːnəl ˈɪnstɪŋkt)
noun
the natural tendency that a mother has to behave or react in a particular way around her child or children
She had little maternal instinct.
I didn't have as strong a maternal instinct as some other mothers.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Example sentences containing 'maternal instinct'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
"Maybe I got shortchanged when it came to handing out the maternal instinct, I don't know. Peter Robinson AFTERMATH (2001)

Trends of 'maternal instinct'

Used Rarely. maternal instinct is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'maternal instinct'

  • maternal death
  • maternal deprivation
  • maternal health care
  • maternal instinct
  • maternity
  • maternity allowance
  • maternity benefit

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'M'

Source

Definition of maternal instinct from the Collins English Dictionary

The to infinitive

The to infinitive is used as follows: after an adjective of quality such as small, tall, agreeable, pleasant, funny that is used in combination with too. The child was too small to reach the sw...
Read more about 'The to infinitive'
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