filiation

American  

[fil-ee-ey-shuhn] / ˌfɪl iˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the fact of being the child of a certain parent.

2. descent as if from a parent; derivation.

3. Law. the judicial determination of the paternity of a child, especially of one born out of wedlock.

4. the relation of one thing to another from which it is derived.

5. the act of filiating.

6. the state of being filiated.

7. an affiliated branch, as of a society.

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filiation British  

/ ˌfɪlɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. line of descent; lineage; derivation

2. the fact of being the child of certain parents

3. law the act or process of filiating

4. law a less common word for affiliation order

5. the set of rules governing the attachment of children to their parents and its social consequences

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Etymology

Origin of filiation

1425–75; late Middle English filiacion < Medieval Latin fīliātiōn- (stem of fīliātiō ). See filiate, -ion

Example Sentences

You can see the filiation, especially as Breslin and Foley, who run the company Fake Friends, also borrow the referential ethos of Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company.

From New York Times • Oct. 20, 2020

"Chris was notified of the paternity matter and an order of filiation was issued last month by the court saying he had joint legal custody and reasonable visitation privileges," she said.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2017

The literal, rather than political, implications of her filiation tend to receive little analysis.

From The Guardian • Apr. 20, 2017

But this question of filiation tormented Baldwin considerably.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 19, 2014

The results of the critical investigation of authorship, as applied to the filiation of documents, are of two kinds.

From Introduction to the Study of History by Berry, George Godfrey