Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
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.
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
late 14c., from Middle French filial, from Late Latin filialis “of a son or daughter,” from Latin filius “son,” filia “daughter,” possibly from a suffixed form of PIE root *bheue- “to be, exist, grow” (see be), though *dhe(i)- “to suck, suckle” (see fecund) “is more likely” [Watkins].
adj.
- Relating to the relationship of offspring to parents.
- In genetics, relating to a generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation.