filial
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter.
filial obedience.
-
noting or having the relation of a child to a parent.
-
Genetics. pertaining to the sequence of generations following the parental generation, each generation being designated by an F followed by a subscript number indicating its place in the sequence.
adjective
-
of, resembling, or suitable to a son or daughter
filial affection
-
F. genetics designating any of the generations following the parental generation; F 1 indicates the first filial generation, F 2 the second, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of filial
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin fīliālis, equivalent to Latin fīli ( us ) son + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
If you describe something as filial, you're saying it's offspring-related. Depending on who your parents are, your filial duties might include taking out the trash, washing dishes, or ruling empires. The word filial comes from the Latin words filius, which means "son," and filia, or "daughter." In other words, filial is the filius of filius. One way of remembering the word is to think of a filly, a young horse. The two words aren't related, but it's fun to put them in the same sentence: "The filly's filial love made the mare a happy horse."
Vocabulary lists containing filial
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
It's All in the Family
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Also grieving Gerry is his daughter, Early, whose filial devotion clashes with her revulsion at Gerry’s brutality until her eventual epiphany: “I am my father’s daughter.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
To embody the idea of filial piety to appeal to the Grand Queen Dowager, Yeon creates doenjang-guk, a traditional soybean paste stew, but adds two special ingredients: spinach and clams.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025
For generations, China has relied on filial piety to fill the gaps in elderly care.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
Traditionally, offspring have been expected to support their elders and demonstrate filial piety above all else.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2023
I know that the awful accusation struck not so much at my filial love as at the foundation of my new existence.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
