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
In 1692, the powerful McDonald clan of the region hosted the rival Campbell clan for a fortnight of what the hosts thought would be hospitality intended to thaw the frosty relations between the clans.
—
Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
Set between a rowdy wedding in the French countryside and a death commemoration ritual in a tiny African village, the film focuses on an extended clan that’s united, and sometimes divided, by the two major events taking place over the course of the movie.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
But, as is often the case with the Fraser and MacKenzie clans, drama was never far behind.
—Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
When novelist Allegra Goodman introduces the clan, Jeanne is dying; at the book’s end, the family has assembled for Charlie’s bris.
—Clare McHugh, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
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Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
Set between a rowdy wedding in the French countryside and a death commemoration ritual in a tiny African village, the film focuses on an extended clan that’s united, and sometimes divided, by the two major events taking place over the course of the movie.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
But, as is often the case with the Fraser and MacKenzie clans, drama was never far behind.
—Amy Wilkinson, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
When novelist Allegra Goodman introduces the clan, Jeanne is dying; at the book’s end, the family has assembled for Charlie’s bris.
—Clare McHugh, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 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 20 Feb. 2026.
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