clan

noun \ ˈklan \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of clan

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

See clan defined for English-language learners

See clan defined for kids

Examples of clan in a Sentence

The tribe is divided into clans.
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.

Recent Examples of clan from the Web

Five members of the Oregon clan, which had recently moved from West Linn to Woodland, Washington, were found dead at the bottom of a California cliff, and three kids remain missing.

— andrew theen, OregonLive.com, "Deadly Hart crash stands out for experts who study family annihilators," 7 Apr. 2018
Though the tale of the ambitious, controversial Mahoney political clan—particularly cool-as-a-cucumber governor’s daughter Katie Mahoney Brown—is truly a delight, and squarely a work of fiction.

— jessica knoll, Glamour, "The Governor’s Daughter Has a Big Problem," 20 Mar. 2018
But despite the collective star power in the extended Knowles-Carter clan, six-year-old Blue who was the clear scene-stealer of the evening.

— paul chi, Vanities, "Blue Ivy Bid $10,000 At an Art Auction, and Won," 18 Mar. 2018
In many parts of the world, the group identities that matter most – the ones that people will kill and die for – are ethnic, religious, sectarian, or clan-based.

— amy chua, Fox News, "'Political Tribes' by Amy Chua," 17 Mar. 2018
Why this doesn’t make the brother the shame and disgrace of the Heitkamp clan, the way that Charles Adams shamed John and Abigail by being a sockless drunk, is another topic for another day.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "The Myth of the Centrist Holy Grail," 16 Mar. 2018
After a morning run and coffee served by the island’s chef, Deutsch takes me on a tour of his latest passion project on the island, which his stepfather, Gernot Langes-Swarovksi, head of the Austrian crystal clan, bought in the 1980s.

— patrick rogers, Town & Country, "Exploring Venice's Exclusive Private Islands," 12 Mar. 2018
Amy Entelis, executive vice president of content and talent development for CNN, noted that some Kennedy clan members declined to participate in the series.

— stephen battaglio, latimes.com, "Martin Sheen adds to his presidential resume with CNN's 'American Dynasties: The Kennedys'," 10 Mar. 2018
Their plight, in fact, is the work of a dog-hating politician who comes from a clan with a long cat-loving lineage.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Isle of Dogs' scratches quirky itch with animated fantasy," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.