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
But the acorn woodpecker is a resident bird that prefers to remain here and has developed a unique process of gathering and storing acorns to sustain the clan until the next crop is produced.
—
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
In the first movie, Kate realizes midway through a flight to Paris that the McCallister clan has left their youngest alone back in a suburb of Chicago.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are known to be quite the hair chameleons, sometimes debuting a new transformation with every outing.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
On a more positive note, on Monday, January 26, Lady Beckham was invested at an intimate ceremony as a Chevaliere des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, attended by the Beckham clan, sans Brooklyn, of course.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
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Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
In the first movie, Kate realizes midway through a flight to Paris that the McCallister clan has left their youngest alone back in a suburb of Chicago.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are known to be quite the hair chameleons, sometimes debuting a new transformation with every outing.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
On a more positive note, on Monday, January 26, Lady Beckham was invested at an intimate ceremony as a Chevaliere des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, attended by the Beckham clan, sans Brooklyn, of course.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 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 5 Feb. 2026.
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