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

Synonyms of familial

• household
• domestic

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 sentencing came on the same day that a man was arrested in his Brooklyn home for a separate rape case detectives had put together using familial DNA. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Co-owner Jennifer Ly and her aunt, Kiera Nguyen, created a space that feels bright, familial and rooted in tradition. — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 18 Sep. 2026

Meyers-Shyer’s familial cinematic eye becomes apparent in the composition of her photographs, sense of details, keen attention to lighting and an easy, welcoming aesthetic, not to mention a proclivity for natural materials. — Ingrid Schmidt, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

The sense of being outside the patterns of human familial weaving is very sharp. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin familia

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing familial

• familial adenomatous polyposis
• familial hypercholesterolemia
• inter-familial

Kids 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