familial

[fuh-mil-yuhl, -mil-ee-uhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a family.

   familial ties.

2. appearing in individuals by heredity.

   a familial disease.

familial

/ fəˈmɪlɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the family

2. occurring in the members of a family

   a familial disease

Other Word Forms

• interfamilial adjective
• nonfamilial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of familial¹

From French, dating back to 1895–1900; family, -al ¹

Example Sentences

How do you balance familial and financial issues?

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It can be a two-way act: some of those familial squares know exactly what’s happening outside even if they act like they don’t.

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He stands a head taller than the woman, but he regards her with a familial deference.

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The expressions that had once been so cold and offputting took on a warmer, more familial look.

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He said people were not coming to the UK because of the asylum rules but because they spoke English or had familial ties or community connections in the country.

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Related Words

• genetic