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

Fenerbahce signed Mesut Ozil — which was a bit of an exception because of his emotional and familial connection to the club — but also recruited Edin Dzeko and (briefly) Leonardo Bonucci. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Olsen certainly hurt those around him, too, growing up, especially as his addiction spiraled and his platonic, romantic and familial relationships fell apart. — David Oliver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

This quietly powerful exploration of familial bonds across generations is a story of finding hope and the importance of a home. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Among the bureaucratic, parochial, pastoral and familial spaces his work takes his clients, a reflection on roots, gentrification and the act of remaining emerges. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

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