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 Under Illinois law, none of the $250,000 fine will go to affected families. — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 Princess Anne—long known as the royal family’s hardest working member—turned 76 years old on August 15. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026 Planning your family’s schedule before the school year starts helps reduce stress and avoid last-minute surprises. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 16 Aug. 2026 Living for his late sister Growing up in Monroe, Louisiana, Brown kept his family close. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 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
  • Unlike many agrarian states, which relied on centralized bureaucracies and hereditary elites, Mongol political culture emphasized personal loyalty, military ability, and flexible leadership within clan networks.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The five-person clan (including a charming Max Greenfield as patriarch Ted, and Eitan Friedman and Matan Friedman as those wild brothers) live in relative domestic tranquility in Small Town Anywhere, USA.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Invasive species of all kinds are already costing the global economy more than $423 billion annually.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In his first earnings call as CEO earlier this month, D’Amaro did speak on the possibility of introducing a free streaming offering of some kind.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of kind
Noun
  • Investigators learned that the man allegedly arrived at his ex-girlfriend's house uninvited and assaulted her.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Spray the solution at key entry points around the house, such as windows, doors and near plumbing.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • Women earn more than men at a majority of private baccalaureate institutional categories.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The competition is divided into a range of categories, including wildlife, fine art and conservation.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of category
Noun
  • Absent a chair, the commission is unable to perform some key responsibilities, like enforcing legal and safety violations, approving new tribal gambling laws and certifying management agreements between tribes and casino operators.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Miccosukee tribe runs a service plaza halfway across with a food court, gas station and casino.
    — Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tribe
Noun
  • Brazilians lead the way in seven different age groups, from Philippe Coutinho at 16 all the way to Neymar aged 31.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The group of officers included at least two plainclothes officers wearing bulletproof vests, who arrived in an unmarked car shortly before the shooting.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of group
Noun
  • For folks in Australia looking for a compact SUV-sorta car, the ASX VR-e will offer up an alternative to the MG 4 and BYD's Dolphin, both hailing from China.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026
  • There’s still time to bring a book to the beach, and the folks sharing on Goodreads have loads of ideas.
    — Ela Jalil, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on family

Nglish: Translation of family for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about family

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