Adjacent Words

Filial definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FIL'IAL, a. [L. filius, a son, flia, a daughter.]
1. Pertaining to a son or daughter; becoming a child in relation to his parents. Filial love is such an affection as a child naturally bears to his parents. Filial duty or obedience is such duty or obedience as the child owes to his parents.
2. Bearing the relation of a son.
Springs of like leaf erect their filial heads.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: designating the generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation [ant: parental]
2: relating to or characteristic of or befitting an offspring; "filial respect" [ant: maternal, parental, paternal]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin filialis, from Latin filius son — more at feminine Date: 14th century 1. of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter <filial obedience> 2. having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring • filially adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 of or due from a son or daughter. 2 Biol. bearing the relation of offspring (cf. F(2) 5). Derivatives: filially adv. Etymology: ME f. OF filial or LL filialis f. filius son, filia daughter

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Filial Fil"ial, a. [L. filialis, fr. filius son, filia daughter; akin to e. female, feminine. Cf. Fitz.] 1. Of or pertaining to a son or daughter; becoming to a child in relation to his parents; as, filial obedience. 2. Bearing the relation of a child. And thus the filial Godhead answering spoke. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

You can use filial to describe the duties, feelings, or relationships which exist between a son or daughter and his or her parents. (FORMAL) His father would accuse him of neglecting his filial duties... ADJ: ADJ n

Moby Thesaurus

adoring, affectionate, conjugal, daughterlike, daughterly, demonstrative, devoted, faithful, fond, husbandly, languishing, lovelorn, lovesick, lovesome, loving, maternal, melting, parental, paternal, romantic, sentimental, soft, sonlike, sonly, tender, uxorious, wifely