parental unit
3
6.8
- noun
- /ˈpɛrənˌtəl ˈjunɪt/
- Informal
:
unidad parental
- The parental units decided to take a family vacation this summer.
Examples
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My parental unit always helps me with my homework.
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Your parental units are away for three whole days.
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There were 16 parental units in that group.
Academic text (2010) -
Mike was the brother I never got to have, and my parents represented the stable parental unit he did not get to have.
Blog text (15) -
As a carbon-based, bipedal parental unit, I love that he took his community organizing global.
Blog text (12) -
The first night, five parental units came, and the second night, eight parental units came, for a total of 13 parents of academically at-risk students.
Academic text (2010) -
The first night, five parental units came, and the second night, eight parental units came, for a total of 13 parents of academically at-risk students.
Academic text (2010) -
They say the roles reverse when the parental units get old, and I can say I've been there.
Blog text (15) -
That's why the parental unit can't read the warning or make out the meaning of the pictogram.
Blog text (16) -
When I got into trouble, my parental unit was really understanding.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'parental' (relating to parents) with 'unit' (a single entity), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a parent or guardian. Although the phrasing is humorous or slightly playful in register, the compositional logic is straightforward and therefore readily understood by B1 learners.
Etymology
The phrase parental unit may come from official forms that use parental for family and unit for a single, not personal thing. Calling a mother or father a 'unit' sounds a bit funny and official, so people use the phrase as a joking way to mean 'parent' or 'guardian'.