1
a
: a Celtic group especially in the Scottish Highlands comprising a number of households whose heads claim descent from a common ancestor
the MacDonald clan
b
: a group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor : family
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.
2
: a group united by a common interest or common characteristics
the country club clan
Examples of clan in a Sentence
The tribe is divided into clans.
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.
Recent Examples on the Web
Members of the 1860s clan include Arthur (Anthony Boyle), Edward (Louis Partridge), Anne (Emily Fairn) and Ben (Fionn O’Shea).
—
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The third installment will see the return of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña’s Jake Sully and Neytiri whose family and clan encounter an enemy Na’vi group called the Ash People.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Yep, the Earl of Mar is a Jacobite and by the next day wants every clan chieftain there to declare their allegiance (or lack thereof) to the Stewart cause.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025
The story begins, as so many others have as of late, with a powerful and wealthy clan facing an apparent succession crisis.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clan
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The third installment will see the return of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña’s Jake Sully and Neytiri whose family and clan encounter an enemy Na’vi group called the Ash People.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Yep, the Earl of Mar is a Jacobite and by the next day wants every clan chieftain there to declare their allegiance (or lack thereof) to the Stewart cause.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2025
The story begins, as so many others have as of late, with a powerful and wealthy clan facing an apparent succession crisis.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clan
Cite this Entry
“Clan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clan. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share