clan

noun

ˈklan 

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

Synonyms

• body
• bunch
• circle
• clique
• community
• coterie
• coven
• crowd
• fold
• galère
• gang
• klatch
• klatsch
• lot
• network
• pack
• ring
• set

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

As boss Richie Stevenson looks to pin blame, patriarch Conrad Harrigan gathers his clan with a plan. —Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025

It’s been three years, but our favorite sleuthing goth teenager Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is finally back, as is the rest of her clan. —Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025

The Wahlberg clan is perhaps more synonymous with Massachusetts capital than any actors but Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. —Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025

The couple have been in a relationship for over five years and wasted no time building their clan. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Scottish Gaelic clann offspring, clan, from Old Irish cland plant, offspring, from Latin planta plant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing clan

• inter-clan
• sub-clan

Rhymes for clan

• an
• ban
• bran
• can
• cann
• duan
• fan
• flan
• gran
• jann
• klan
• lan

Kids Definition

clan

noun

ˈklan 

1

a

: a group (as in the Scottish Highlands) made up of households whose heads claim to have a common ancestor

b

: a group of people having a common ancestor : family

2

: a group of persons united by a common interest

the whole clan of actors