NYT Dictionary

UNFILIAL

/ʌnˈfɪlɪəl/
AdjectiveUN-fil-i-alun-fil-i-al · 4 syllablesAdvanced/Professional

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

Meaning

Not befitting or proper for a son.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁ilyós Proto-Italic *θīlios Proto-Italic *fīlios Latin fīlius Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin fīliālisder. Middle English filial English filial English unfilial From un- + filial.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Antonyms

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025.

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