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 of clan

• clique
• community
• crowd
• network
• circle
• pack
• bunch
• gang
• coven
• tribe
• organization

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

The Evans clan has been running cattle on the peninsula for 150 years. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Unlike many agrarian states, which relied on centralized bureaucracies and hereditary elites, Mongol political culture emphasized personal loyalty, military ability, and flexible leadership within clan networks. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026

The five-person clan (including a charming Max Greenfield as patriarch Ted, and Eitan Friedman and Matan Friedman as those wild brothers) live in relative domestic tranquility in Small Town Anywhere, USA. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026

The movie features his ninja clan creation The Hand as one of Spidey’s antagonists. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026

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