extended family

noun

: a family that includes in one household near relatives (such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles) in addition to a nuclear family

Given space, there are ways in which even larger populations than the extended family can be accommodated under one roof.

—Paul Oliver

also : an extensive group of people who are related by blood or marriage or who otherwise regard themselves as a large family

Four out of every five people who go through a first divorce remarry … . Thus it is that husbands and wives, their former partners, children and stepchildren, and a whole constellation of grandparents and other relatives are brought together in the new American extended family.

—Michael Norman

During his five years at Owen High, he turned his teams into an extended family and tried to instill in his players the same sense of self-worth that Baldwin had imparted to him years before.

—William Nack

Synonyms of extended family

• household
• house

Examples of extended family in a Sentence

their extended family includes a grandmother and widowed aunt

Recent Examples on the Web

The new series brings back the grown-up and extended family together for Hal and Lois's 40th wedding anniversary, and is written by the original show's creator Linwood Boomer. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026

Above the detached garage, the Carriage House is described as a one-bedroom apartment with its own address, kitchen and private deck, adding options for extended family, guests, or an additional creative perch. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026

In 2025, after four years of work, the process yielded a flexible house that now serves both as a hospitality space for Scribe Winery events and a guest retreat for extended family. —Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2026

All of our extended family, my household included, lives within an hour of their home. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for extended family

• multifamily
• nonfamily
• stepfamily
• subfamily

Kids Definition

extended family

noun

: a family that includes parents and children and other relatives (as grandparents, aunts, or uncles) in the same household

Medical Definition

extended family

noun

: a family that includes in one household near relatives in addition to a nuclear family