family Definition
- 1a group consisting of one or two parents and their children
- 2all the descendants of a common ancestor
- 3a group of people related by blood or marriage
Using family: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "family" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
My family is going on vacation next week.
Example
She comes from a large family with many siblings.
Example
Family is the most important thing in his life.
Example
We had a family reunion last weekend.
family Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using family
Example
She's in the family way and due in a few months.
Example
He was always the black sheep of the family, getting into trouble and causing problems.
Example
They got married and started a family soon after.
Phrases with family
Example
The nuclear family is often portrayed as the ideal family structure.
a family unit consisting of parents, their children, and other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins
Example
In some cultures, the extended family lives together in the same household.
a diagram showing the relationships between members of a family over several generations
Example
I traced my family tree back to the 18th century.
Origins of family
from Latin 'familia', meaning 'household servants, household, family', from 'famulus', meaning 'servant'
Summary: family in Brief
The term 'family' [ˈfæməli] refers to a group of people related by blood or marriage, typically consisting of one or two parents and their children. It can also refer to all the descendants of a common ancestor. The concept of family extends into phrases like 'nuclear family,' and idioms like 'black sheep of the family.' 'Family' is often used to describe the most important people in one's life.
