family

noun

ˈfam-lē How to pronounce family (audio)
Definition of familynext
1
as in clan
a group of persons who come from the same ancestor the Adams family made remarkable contributions to American life for more than two centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kind
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic the flute, the clarinet, the oboe, and other members of the woodwind family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of family When surgery became necessary, however, her family faced uncertainty over the cost. — Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026 Many maples are full of dreys (the fancy name for a squirrel’s nest), and the squirrels barely expend any energy to feed their family. — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2026 Prior to buying their own home, Kirychuk said the family lived in an apartment where the landlord was doubling the rent. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026 Coming from the Midwest, farm and garden, and finding it locally, were important to her family. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for family
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family
  1. clan
  2. kind
  3. house
  4. category
  5. tribe
  6. group
  7. folks
  8. people
Noun
  • As the two clans battle it out on the field, regardless of who takes home the trophy Lexi may have already won at love.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Looking forward to 2030, all eyes will turn to Bolsonaro clan ally Tarcísio de Freitas, who did not enter the presidential race and instead supported Flávio Bolsonaro.
    — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Beloved seventies patterns of all kinds are back in this season, from stripes to animal print.
    — Michel Mejía, Glamour, 5 Nov. 2026
  • On November 2, robot dogs – and other kinds of machines built for locomotion of some kind – took part in the very first World Robot Mount Taishan Climbing Competition in Tai'an, in China's Shandong province.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of kind
Noun
  • These attributes will be increasingly important when robots are deployed to rescue sites and even used in less dangerous settings like hospitality and in multilevel offices, factories and houses.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Ford, 54, is a former social studies teacher and real estate broker who has served in the Illinois state house since 2007.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • The proposals, which are backed by the political action committee Building a Better California, include a ban on new taxes on financial assets and other personal property, a category that excludes real estate.
    — SOPHIE AUSTIN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Proponents say the measure applies to eight categories of projects California communities need to expand housing, improve civic infrastructure and promote green energy.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of category
Noun
  • Geary oversees the tribe's efforts to revitalize both Nisenan and Northern Sierra Miwok.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Increase partnerships — the directive intends to strengthen relationships with neighboring property owners, including tribes, private landowners, hunting and conservation organizations, and local communities.
    — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of tribe
Noun
  • Their decision to pull cash out of Georgia and North Carolina helped top Democratic groups approve new Senate spending in states like Mississippi, South Carolina, and Kansas.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Although the local law embraces triads, foursomes and other group relationships, the language bars registering of couples who have already declared other partnerships.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of group
Noun
  • Lee contributed to more development than his own, eventually selling 20 acres at East Colonial Drive and Bumby Avenue to the folks who’d develop the Colonial Plaza shopping center.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
  • And it can be argued, credibly, that no other group on this soil has struggled for freedom, for justice, for equality, and for true democracy as long and as doggedly as Black folks.
    — Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of folks
Noun
  • Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
  • Organizers say more than 125,000 people are expected throughout the event, bringing in millions of dollars for the local economy.
    — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of people

Phrases Containing family

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families
family
family doctor
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Cite this Entry

“Family.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on family

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about family

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