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
Who in Delft, however, outside the Remonstrant clan, would know that your soul could be measured like a gold coin, or, for that matter, hung from your ear?
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The two men forged a close friendship that extended to the wider Kennedy clan.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Police last month detained 16 people allegedly linked to the Mazzarella clan on cyber fraud charges.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Outside the hall, Kip Francis, the fourth child in the Francis clan, barbecued on the large drive-up grill this year.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
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Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The two men forged a close friendship that extended to the wider Kennedy clan.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Police last month detained 16 people allegedly linked to the Mazzarella clan on cyber fraud charges.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Outside the hall, Kip Francis, the fourth child in the Francis clan, barbecued on the large drive-up grill this year.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
Cite this Entry
“Clan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clan. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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