Agnate

Origin

from Latin agnātus ("paternal kinsman").

Full definition of agnate

Noun

1. A relative whose relation is traced only through male members of the family.A great grandfather is an agnate if he is your father’s father’s father.
• 2013, John Middleton, E. H. Winter, Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa, Men accuse agnates of their own generation of bewitching them.
2. Any paternal male relative.

Antonyms

• enate

Adjective

1. Related to someone by male connections or on the paternal side of the family.
2. allied; akin
• LandorAssume more or less of a fictitious character, but congenial and agnate with the former.
3. (linguistics) Having a similar semantic meaning.
• 2013, Thomas Bloor, Meriel Bloor, The Functional Analysis of English, ... we can talk about a swim, a drink, a look, even though swim, drink and look can also show up as verbs in agnate clauses.

Synonyms

• agnatic, patrilineal

Derived terms

• agnatic
• agnation

Anagrams

• Teagan