Word
familia
Phoneticsfa·mil·ia
Definition
n. a group of people who are related to each other, such as a family. In old legal terms, it refers to the people who live in the same house and share the same food.
n. a group of people related by blood or marriage; in legal contexts, the household or family unit. Often used in historical or legal terminology to describe the collective members of a household.
Examples
“The familia lived together in a large house.”
“In many ancient legal systems, the head of the familia held significant power over all other members of the household.”
“The concept of familia in Roman law was central to the social hierarchy, as it determined the legal status and responsibilities of every individual within the household.”
Examples
simple
“The familia lived together in a large house.”
contextual
“In many ancient legal systems, the head of the familia held significant power over all other members of the household.”
complex
“The concept of familia in Roman law was central to the social hierarchy, as it determined the legal status and responsibilities of every individual within the household.”
Real-World Examples
“Kittle presented these strategies to teachers, reading specialists and researchers in April 2026, demonstrating how to use "cognates," words like "family" and "familia" that share similar forms and meanings in English and Spanish.” “Con el consentimiento de sus familias, se incluyeron aportes de colegas wounaan fallecidos, entre ellos cuentos ancestrales y escritos recientes.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin familia (“family”). Doublet of family.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.