filial

[ fil-ee-uhl ]

/ ˈfɪl i əl /

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See synonyms for filial on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

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Origin of filial

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin fīliālis, equivalent to Latin fīli(us) son + -ālis-al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM filial

fil·i·al·ly, adverbfil·i·al·ness, nounnon·fil·i·al, adjective

Words nearby filial

file sharing, filet, filet lace, filet mignon, file transfer protocol, filial, filial generation, filial piety, filiate, filiation, filibeg

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use filial in a sentence

He never saw his father again, their contact limited to letters brimming with intellectual vigor, paternal concern and filial devotion that decades later were published in a best-selling volume in China.
Fou Ts’ong, Chinese pianist who bridged East and West, dies at 86 of covid-19|Emily Langer|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
She explained that “filial laws” are a vestige of English rule.
Are You Legally Responsible for Your Elderly Parents?|Keli Goff|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a candid psychological exploration of a highly charged filial relationship, The Wolf and the Watchman fascinates.
Haunted by his Father’s Secret Life in the CIA|Emma Garman|June 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Apparently Romney has placed his filial devotion in the same blind trust in which he has stored his dignity.
Paul Begala: The Strangely Silent Jan. 23 Debate in Tampa|Paul Begala|January 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Her husband noticed, and thought it was the expression of a deep filial attachment which he had never suspected.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The Chinese consul paternally tells his countrymen what they are to do, and they do it with filial submission.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Tatsu has been without kindred,—he knows not yet the sacred duties of filial love.
The Dragon Painter|Mary McNeil Fenollosa
Let them not speak to us of a filial or respectful fear mingled with love, which men should have for their God.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier
I listened to her religious exhortations with a feeling of filial gratitude, and they sunk deep into my heart.
My Ten Years' Imprisonment|Silvio Pellico

British Dictionary definitions for filial

filial

/ (ˈfɪljəl) /

adjective

of, resembling, or suitable to a son or daughterfilial affection

genetics designating any of the generations following the parental generation; F 1 indicates the first filial generation, F 2 the second, etcAbbreviation: F

Derived forms of filial

filially, adverbfilialness, noun

Word Origin for filial

C15: from Late Latin fīliālis, from Latin fīlius son

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for filial

filial

[ fĭl′ē-əl ]

adj.

Relating to the relationship of offspring to parents.

In genetics, relating to a generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation.

filial

Origin of filial

OTHER WORDS FROM filial

Words nearby filial

Words related to filial

How to use filial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for filial

Derived forms of filial

Word Origin for filial

Medical definitions for filial