filiation

[ fil-ee-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the fact of being the child of a certain parent.
2. descent as if from a parent; derivation.
3. Law. the judicial determination of the paternity of a child, especially of one born out of wedlock.
4. the relation of one thing to another from which it is derived.
5. the act of filiating.
6. the state of being filiated.
7. an affiliated branch, as of a society.

filiation

/ ˌfɪlɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. line of descent; lineage; derivation
2. the fact of being the child of certain parents
3. law the act or process of filiating
4. law a less common word for affiliation order
5. the set of rules governing the attachment of children to their parents and its social consequences

Word History and Origins

Origin of filiation¹

1425–75; late Middle English filiacion < Medieval Latin fīliātiōn- (stem of fīliātiō ). See filiate, -ion

Example Sentences

Critical Saidian concepts, such as filiation and affiliation, flicker into view, assuming an unwarranted familiarity.

From New York Times

"Chris was notified of the paternity matter and an order of filiation was issued last month by the court saying he had joint legal custody and reasonable visitation privileges," she said.

From BBC

But his response to Le Pen’s comment about his childlessness was something more earnest and full-throated, an impassioned rejection of the decrepit social order that limits filiation to a man and his seed.

From The New Yorker

The literal, rather than political, implications of her filiation tend to receive little analysis.

From The Guardian

But this question of filiation tormented Baldwin considerably.

From The New Yorker