familial

adjective

fa·​mil·​ial fə-ˈmil-yəl How to pronounce familial (audio)
-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
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.
Throughout Big Mouth, Jessi is often used as a vehicle to navigate heavier topics like familial divorce, finding your sexuality and mental health. Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 23 May 2025 To make Chicago work, the Bears needed to offer far more skin in the game, which meant loosening familial ownership and picking a different site. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025 The siblings, who haven’t seen each other in over a year since the death of their father, instantly launch into the sort of familial bickering passing for humor. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025 Looking past the heavy material, a cycle of generational abuse is broken and a familial arc is beautifully framed by co-writers Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, with the symbolism of a plane passing by overhead as souls departing earth. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 May 2025 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 28 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on familial

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