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
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
The race has been defined by Trump’s attacks on Canada, upending the decades-long familial relationship between the two countries amid an unprecedented surge of Canadian nationalism.
—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
As Laura becomes part of the household — alongside the woman’s husband and adult son — the four begin to form a fragile familial bond.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025
The physical consummation of love led to all of the things Elisabeth didn’t want: familial obligation, the opposite of liberation of the soul and body.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025
The study's authors noted that the chimpanzees' familiarity with each other, and thus their willingness to share, could be attributed to familial connection — though researchers had no way of knowing if the chimps were related.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for familial
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Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
As Laura becomes part of the household — alongside the woman’s husband and adult son — the four begin to form a fragile familial bond.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025
The physical consummation of love led to all of the things Elisabeth didn’t want: familial obligation, the opposite of liberation of the soul and body.
—Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025
The study's authors noted that the chimpanzees' familiarity with each other, and thus their willingness to share, could be attributed to familial connection — though researchers had no way of knowing if the chimps were related.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for familial
Cite this Entry
“Familial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familial. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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