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

• domestic
• household

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

Among the bonsai trees, clogs, boomerangs, and other familial artifacts is a small toy monkey with black, void-like eyes and an unsettling grin. —EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024

For instance, Venus in Aquarius is shining a light on your fourth house of innermost feelings, inviting you to create more harmony in your personal space and strengthen familial bonds. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024

Ena returns to Venezuela and embarks on a familial search reminiscent of both the intimacy of Akerman and the labyrinthine qualities of Borges. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024

For Jodi Picoult — the author of 29 books, including Mad Honey, Handle With Care, and My Sister’s Keeper — politics has always gone hand in hand with writing novels about moral quandaries and familial sagas. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2024

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