familial
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of a family.
familial ties.
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appearing in individuals by heredity.
a familial disease.
adjective
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of or relating to the family
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occurring in the members of a family
a familial disease
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of familial
From French, dating back to 1895–1900; see origin at family, -al 1
Explanation
The word familial has to do with all things relating to family. A familial gathering is one in which family has come together. A familial bond is a strong connection between family members. It's easy to spot the Latin root familia meaning "family" in the word familial. This is a word that describes events, relationships, or all other things having to do with family. When you talk about a familial bond, you are talking about the kind of intimate connection that only family members can share. If you are interested in genealogy, you have an interest in familial history.
Vocabulary lists containing familial
It's All in the Family
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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Ungifted
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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.
Transportation systems, workplaces, familial and social relationships, and government services increasingly assume continuous digital participation.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Accordingly, the book offers strategies for mitigating against chaos, beginning with weekly planning sessions during which she recommends plotting out the coming seven days, listing commitments and priorities—professional, familial and personal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
In a statement on Tuesday, global policing agency Interpol said a breakthrough came when the victim was identified by French police using "familial DNA searching".
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Ideally, we take those familial lessons to the workplace.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
He’d had no motive for working hard academically, and he was deeply distracted by personal and familial problems and in full-blown rebellion almost every day of his high school life.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
