Paternity \Pa*ter"ni*ty\, n. [L. paternitas: cf. F.
   paternit['e]. See Paternal.]
   1. The relation of a father to his child; fathership;
      fatherhood; family headship; as, the divine paternity.
      [1913 Webster]

            The world, while it had scarcity of people,
            underwent no other dominion than paternity and
            eldership.                            --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.
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   2. Derivation or descent from a father; male parentage; as,
      the paternity of a child.
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   3. Origin; authorship.
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            The paternity of these novels was . . . disputed.
                                                  --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
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	paternity
    n 1: the state of being a father; "tests were conducted to
         determine paternity"
    2: the kinship relation between an offspring and the father
       [syn: fatherhood, paternity]
    3: the act of initiating a new idea or theory or writing; "the
       authorship of the theory is disputed" [syn: authorship,
       paternity]

	

	49 Moby Thesaurus words for "paternity":
   affiliation, agnation, alliance, ancestry, blood,
   blood relationship, brotherhood, brothership, cognation,
   common ancestry, common descent, connection, consanguinity,
   cousinhood, cousinship, descent, enation, extraction, family,
   fatherhood, fatherliness, filiation, fraternity, heritage, kindred,
   kinship, line, lineage, maternity, matrilineage, matriliny,
   matrisib, matrocliny, motherhood, parentage, paternalness,
   patrilineage, patriliny, patrisib, patrocliny, propinquity,
   relation, relationship, sibship, sisterhood, sistership, stock,
   strain, ties of blood

	

	PATERNITY, The state or condition of a father. 
     2. The husband is prima facie presumed to be the father of his wife's 
children, born during coverture, or within a competent time afterwards pater 
is est quem nuptim demonstrant. 7 N. S. 553. But this presumption may be 
rebutted by showing circumstances which render it impossible that the 
husband can be the father. 6 Binn. 283; 1 Browne's R. Appx. xlvii.; Hardin's 
R. 479; 8 East, R. 193; Stra. 51, 940. 4 T. R; 356;. 2 M. & K. 349; 3 
Paige's R. 139; I Sim. & Stu. 150; Turn. & Russ. 138; 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 302, 
et seq. 
     3. The declarations of both or one of the spouses, however, cannot 
affect the condition of a child born during the marriage. 7 N. S. 553; 3 
Paige's R. 139. Vide Bastard;. Bastardy;, Legitimacy; Maternity; Pregnancy.