filial

adjective

fil·​ial ˈfi-lē-əl 

ˈfil-yəl

1

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

filial duties

filial obedience/devotion

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

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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 fact that both hero and villain look the same adds an extra layer of filial angst to the story. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025

How could there not be both pride and shame at the heart of this filial difference? —James Wood, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Ultimately, my novel is a book about loves - romantic love, filial love, a mother’s love- that transcend generations, politics and even death. —Piter Ortega Núñez, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025

Tensions arise when a struggling, idealistic poet meets his girlfriend’s family at their idyllic, hillside countryside home in Hong Sang-soo’s latest feature — a quietly profound meditation on the complexities of filial love and familial strife. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 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