Familial

/fəˈmɪliəl/

adjectivemedium📊CommonRelationship
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

Relating to or characteristic of a family.

/fəˈmɪliəl/

adjectiveneutralmedium
Relationship

Relating to or occurring in a family.

There's a familial pattern of early onset Alzheimer's disease in her family.

💡 Simply: Think of it like this: If something's 'familial,' it means it has something to do with your family. Like, if your grandma has a specific disease, and your family has a history of it, that's a familial health issue.

👶 For kids: When something is 'familial,' it means it has to do with your family, like if you get a disease from your mom or dad.

More Examples

2

The study examined familial relationships and their impact on child development.

3

His understanding of the situation was colored by his familial obligations.

How It's Used

Medical

"The doctor inquired about any familial history of heart disease."

Social Science

"Familial roles and responsibilities often shape an individual's identity."

Idioms & expressions

Familial bonds

The emotional and social connections within a family.

"The strong familial bonds helped them through difficult times."

Familial responsibility

The duties and obligations one has to their family members.

"He felt a strong familial responsibility to care for his aging parents."

From Latin *familia* (family) + -al (suffix denoting relationship or belonging). Refers to characteristics or occurrences within a family.

The word familial has been used since the early 17th century, arising as a derivative of the Latin word 'familia'. It gained prominence with the rise of scientific interest in heredity and social structures.

Memory tip

Think of 'family' - familial things relate to the family.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"family"

familial historyfamilial tiesfamilial relationshipsfamilial obligationsfamilial support

Common misspellings

familairfamillial

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written