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Glite Dictionary
👩 Mother's side 👩‍👧 Relative by mother
matrilateral

matrilateral

9.9
A person who is related through their mother
  • noun
  • /ˌmætrɪˈlætərəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : matrilateral
  • A matrilateral relationship means you are connected through your mother's side of the family.

Examples

  • In many cultures, being a matrilateral relative often plays a key role in family gatherings.

  • She explored her matrilateral ties to better understand her family's history.

  • The other special form of marriage (the matrilateral), even more markedly connected to circuits of political exchange, seems to be absent from the strategies employed by this descent line.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Parallel-cousin marriage can be divided into two types: matrilateral (MSD) and patrilateral (FBD).

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

matrikin
vsmatrilateral
  • Specialized
9.9

People who belong to your mother's family

refers to one person rather than to several people
matrilineal kin
vsmatrilateral
  • Specialized
9.2

A relative who is from your mother's family

is used more generally without stressing paternal contrast
matrilineal sib
vsmatrilateral
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who is related to you through your mother's family

describes the personal relation rather than group membership

Surface Forms

matrilateral singular
matrilaterals plural

Morphology

matrilateral = matrilateral (semi-transparent) = matri + lateral

The meaning is built from 'matri-' meaning mother and 'lateral' meaning side, but the kinship sense is somewhat specialized.

Etymology

A matrilateral is a person who is related to you through your mother. The parts matri- ('mother') and -lateral ('side') show why the word means a family member on the mother's side.