filial

adjective

fil·​ial ˈfi-lē-əl 

ˈfil-yəl

1

: of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter

filial obedience

filial love

2

: having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring

The new village has a filial relationship with the original settlement.

filially

ˈfi-lē-ə-lē 

ˈfil-yə-lē

adverb

Did you know?

Filial Has Familial Origins

Filial comes from Latin filius, meaning "son," and filia, "daughter"; in English, it applies to any gender. The word has long carried the dutiful sense "owed to a parent by a child," as found in such phrases as "filial respect" and "filial piety." These days it can also be used more generally for any emotion or behavior of a child to a parent.

Examples of filial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The story is set in Qiu’s hometown of Hangzhou, a city where ultra-modern skyscrapers glow above thousand-year-old canals, mirroring the film’s blend of technology with traditional values like filial piety. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2025

But its real business is the peculiar blood sport called filial love. —Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025

This helps explain why some women may still feel obliged to have children out of a sense of filial piety. —Maro B. Enriquez, Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 2025

The constituents most opposed to all-day phone bans are the mothers and fathers who seem to be addicted to constant filial contact. —Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin filialis, from Latin filius son — more at feminine

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing filial

• filial generation

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Kids Definition

filial

adjective

fil·​i·​al

ˈfil-ē-əl,

ˈfil-yəl

1

: of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter

filial obedience

2

: being or having the relation of a child or offspring