familial
familial Lexical Profile
familial Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, typical of, or occurring within a family or its members.
"The novel explores the complex familial bonds that hold three generations together."
Tending to occur in more members of a family than expected by chance alone, often due to shared genetic or environmental factors (especially of a medical condition or trait).
"The cardiologist screened the patient for familial hypercholesterolemia due to her family history of early heart disease."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'familial' (pertaining to a family or hereditary lineage) with 'familiar' (well-known, easily recognized, or informal).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-19th century from French familial or directly from Latin familialis ('of a household or family'), from familia ('household servants, family').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.