familial

adjective

fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl 

-ˈmi-lē-əl

1

: tending to occur in more members of a family than expected by chance alone

a familial disorder

2

: of, relating to, or suggestive of a family

has familial ties to the area

a familial atmosphere

Synonyms of familial

• household
• domestic

Examples of familial in a Sentence

The company has created a familial atmosphere in its offices.

it's a familial duty as well as a tradition for everyone in my family to eat dinner together

Recent Examples on the Web

Town & Country takes its characters and their struggles at face value and, despite some gentle needling, celebrates their genuine camaraderie and familial commitment. —Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

Through their tactile work, The Ambriz Brothers and their familial cohort of artists deal in a grotesquery of a far more appealing sort. —Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2025

Developing a familial relationship, Minard adopted Denise through Tlingit tradition. —Tim Trudell, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

Among the recurrent themes are suicide, mysteriously intractable sorrow, and failed attempts at familial and romantic connection. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin familia

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing familial

• familial adenomatous polyposis
• familial hypercholesterolemia
• inter-familial

Kids Definition

familial

adjective

fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl 

: of, relating to, or typical of a family

Medical Definition

familial

adjective

fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl 

: tending to occur in more members of a family than expected by chance alone

a familial disorder

compare acquired sense 1, congenital sense 2, hereditary