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
Juan trades stories with his new friend while on his deathbed, recounting old loves and familial pasts.
—
Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
One of the objectives of Faith and Family Month is to strengthen relationships among husbands and wives, parents and children and other familial relationships.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
Kostyuk had been coached by her mother and needed a big-sister-like figure to take on the role, someone who accepts all of her unconditionally and without the baggage of familial ties and mother-daughter relationships.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 June 2026
Lilibet Diana—whose name honors both the familial nickname of great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and the name of grandmother Princess Diana—was born in Santa Barbara, California on June 4, 2021, joining her parents and her older brother, Prince Archie, who was 2 years old at the time.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for familial
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Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
One of the objectives of Faith and Family Month is to strengthen relationships among husbands and wives, parents and children and other familial relationships.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
Kostyuk had been coached by her mother and needed a big-sister-like figure to take on the role, someone who accepts all of her unconditionally and without the baggage of familial ties and mother-daughter relationships.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 June 2026
Lilibet Diana—whose name honors both the familial nickname of great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and the name of grandmother Princess Diana—was born in Santa Barbara, California on June 4, 2021, joining her parents and her older brother, Prince Archie, who was 2 years old at the time.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for familial
Cite this Entry
“Familial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familial. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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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