nuclear family

noun

Definition of nuclear familynext
as in extended family
the part of a family that includes only the father, mother, and children

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nuclear family Built up in the 1870s as a resort for nuclear families, Fire Island was destroyed by a hurricane in the 1930s, which quickly chased away its upper-class vacationers. — Air Mail, 23 May 2026 In this case, the one on trial is the nuclear family. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The nuclear family at the heart of the story are first met living in the rustic splendor of the German countryside, in a scruffy, characterful house far bigger than this family of three — Philip, Lucy and their six- or seven-year-old son Johnny (Malo Blanchet) — obviously needs. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 Their close relationships highlighted how different families can look at a time where the nuclear family was the standard. — Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for nuclear family
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuclear family
  1. extended family
  2. blended family
  3. tribe
  4. household
  5. house
  6. clan
  7. blood
  8. race
Noun
  • The State Department also sanctioned the wife of Alejandro Castro Espin, a member of the Castro extended family.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 23 June 2026
  • In addition to Nancy and Grayton, Weston is survived by his father, Keith, and other extended family.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Definition of extended family
Noun
  • In November 2021, Johnson brought his blended family together for the premiere of his film Red Notice.
    — Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 8 Feb. 2023
  • Dietrich, 36, is now a stay-at-home mother to her blended family of four teenagers and a 17-month-old.
    — Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2023
Definition of blended family
Noun
  • Respective leaders from Micron, INL, the Idaho Potato Commission and the three native tribes each said they were honored to take part in the time capsule project.
    — Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 7 July 2026
  • Learn more about the past and present with a visit to the Wind River Indian Reservation, the seventh largest reservation in the country and home to the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho tribes.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Definition of tribe
Noun
  • Most of those new households are dual-income with limited free time.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
  • Labeling the outside of the container ensures your household stays safe.
    — Irina Butler, Boston Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of household
Noun
  • Authorities wanted to close what some consider a legal loophole allowing cardrooms to offer blackjack and games in which players play against the house.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Bieber recently brought down the house at this year’s Coachella, playing both weekends as the headliner.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • There was big news for the Fanning clan on Wednesday morning, with Dakota Fanning nominated for her role in Peacock‘s limited series All Her Fault and Elle Fanning nominated for Apple TV comedy series Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 8 July 2026
  • The Richards family is one of America’s richest clans, thanks to its electrical manufacturing company Southwire.
    — Simone Melvin, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Earlier in the episode, the bad blood between Tamra and Shannon Storms Beador over the last few seasons bubbled up in the storyline.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
  • Perno has been battling cancer in his blood and his right lung since January.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of blood
Noun
  • But nothing about the case – other than speculation about race – is particularly unusual, CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey said.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • The stablecoin race has been heating up after Washington nearly a year ago brought greater regulatory clarity to digital assets with the GENIUS Act, which established a federal framework for payment stablecoins.
    — Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of race

Browse Nearby Words

nuclear families
nuclear family
nuclei
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuclear family.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuclear%20family. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nuclear family

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nuclear family

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All