Meaning & use

filial

adjective·Advanced

Relating to, or appropriate to, the relationship of a son or daughter to a parent.

See it in a sentence

He visited his aging mother every Sunday out of a strong sense of filial duty.

Filial respect for elders remains an important value in many cultures.

A note on using this word

Filial is formal and almost always paired with words like duty, piety, or respect when describing obligations toward parents.

Words with a similar meaning

dutiful

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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