familial

adjective

fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl How to pronounce familial (audio)
-ˈmi-lē-əl
Synonyms of familialnext
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Albert’s prose sometimes strains for lyricism, but the mysteries embedded in the novel—creative, familial, and supernatural—exert a powerful draw. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Sarnoski remixes elements from the 17th century ballad, Robin Hood’s Death, as Robin (Hugh Jackman) nearly loses his life while helping Little John (Bill Skarsgård) with a familial matter. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026 However, the familial drives of men are something seldom acknowledged by society more broadly, Lewis says, and certainly not to the same degree that women's are. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 June 2026 Because bad taste in humor (or more accurately, taste that is something other than your own) is not just confined to inboxes, but to all social situations, even (especially) familial ones. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for familial

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin familia

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of familial was in 1843

Cite this Entry

“Familial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familial. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

familial

adjective
fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl How to pronounce familial (audio)
: of, relating to, or typical of a family

Medical Definition

familial

adjective
fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl How to pronounce familial (audio)
: 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

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