nuclear family

noun

: a family group that consists only of parents and children

Examples of nuclear family in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Every audience hears about the tweets from Michigan’s William Lawrence, condemning the nuclear family, and New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier, about how July 4 should be about the liberation of Palestine and Puerto Rico. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The traditional guardrails of nuclear family life are off, leaving Alex with a canvas that’s thrillingly, terrifyingly blank. — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

The Republican party has promised a return to the good ol’ days, with strong nuclear families at the crux and a fight against the declining birth rate. — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Clark came up in a traditional American nuclear family in Des Moines, Iowa with a family history defined by sports, as her grandfather was a locally famous high school football coach. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nuclear family

• multifamily
• nonfamily
• stepfamily
• subfamily

Kids Definition

nuclear family

noun

: a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children

Medical Definition

nuclear family

noun

: a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children see extended family