extended family

noun

Definition of extended family

: 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

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Synonyms for extended family

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Examples of extended family in a Sentence

their extended family includes a grandmother and widowed aunt

Recent Examples on the Web An extended family of six adults and 10 children lived in the two-room home, which had only one tiny window. — New York Times, "The City Losing Its Children to H.I.V.," 31 Mar. 2021 Located right on the sand, this home can also sleep an extended family thanks to its four bedrooms, all decorated in coastal-chic style. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, "Where to Book Your Next Vacation House, According to TikTok," 25 Mar. 2021 Through the hours, weather threats and time away from their families, these men and women are an extended family of their own. — Kassi Jackson, courant.com, "The faces behind the plows: Eight Connecticut DOT employees share what really goes into responding to storms in the state," 20 Mar. 2021 Like most of the 7,000 Bedouin Arabs here, almost all members of his extended family, Al-Sayyid supported Arab parties in recent elections. — Washington Post, "In turnabout, Netanyahu courts Arab voters he once called a threat," 18 Mar. 2021 Among them is Jackson Ranch, homestead of an extended family descended from an Alabama farmer and his former slave wife who settled 5,550 acres before the Civil War and helped other slaves escape to Mexico. — Dudley Althaus, ExpressNews.com, "Biden’s border plans raise hopes and fears in South Texas," 23 Jan. 2021 One Thanksgiving party with an extended family actually led to 10 Covid-19 infections, including three babies, according to York Region Public Health, a health unit north of Toronto. — Amir Vera, CNN, "Here's why health experts say gathering in groups over the holidays is a bad idea during the pandemic," 20 Nov. 2020 From grandparents, to parents and their children, this destination is a slice of Rocky Mountain paradise everyone in an extended family. — Erica Lamberg, USA TODAY, "These social-distancing-friendly, multigenerational family trips will appeal to the whole family," 12 Aug. 2020 Behind the scenes — on sets around the world, and especially at home in New York — Lynn frequently welcomed new friends into an extended family of her own. — Catherine Cusick, Longreads, "A Tribute to Lynn Cohen, 1933-2020," 10 Aug. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'extended family.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

5 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Extended family.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extended%20family. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

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