nuclear family

noun

Definition of nuclear familynext
as in extended family
the part of a family that includes only the father, mother, and children

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 nuclear family Clark came up in a traditional American nuclear family in Des Moines, Iowa with a family history defined by sports, as her grandfather was a locally famous high school football coach. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026 Consider that, according to the Center for American Progress, in 1970, 67 percent of adults (defined as 25 to 49 years old) lived in a traditional nuclear family with a spouse and one or more minor children. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026 Go take care of your nuclear family! — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026 Built up in the 1870s as a resort for nuclear families, Fire Island was destroyed by a hurricane in the 1930s, which quickly chased away its upper-class vacationers. — Air Mail, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for nuclear family
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuclear family
  1. extended family
  2. blended family
  3. people
  4. tribe
  5. household
  6. house
  7. clan
  8. blood
Noun
  • The family now lives in Boise, Idaho, but has visited England multiple times and still has extended family throughout the country, particularly around York and Manchester.
    — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The State Department also sanctioned the wife of Alejandro Castro Espin, a member of the Castro extended family.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 23 June 2026
Definition of extended family
Noun
  • Dietrich, 36, is now a stay-at-home mother to her blended family of four teenagers and a 17-month-old.
    — Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2023
  • Kourtney Kardashian Barker spent the Christmas holiday with her blended family.
    — Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 29 Dec. 2022
Definition of blended family
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
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
  • In rural locales overall, three out of four households own a home and land or both--and about 60 percent own their property outright (mortgage-free).
    — Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The approach also expands virtual power plants (VPPs) beyond households with connected devices.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of household
Noun
  • Everything else is made in house, save for the deli meat on the Italian La Famiglia and the ham on The Hammich.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The judge ordered Ouellette to turn over his passport and said Ouellette could only leave his house for doctor’s appointments, attorneys meetings or to work for his father’s business, multiple media outlets reported.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • Cue the Ghost Of Christmas Present (a dynamic turn from Severance Emmy winner Tramell Tillman) who really turns on the gas to show Scrooge a miserable world, including for the Cratchit clan involving death and despair.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The king arranges the match in the hope of finally ending the hostility between the two clans.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Defense lawyers said that as prosecutors sought the indictments, Owen told the Colleton County grand jury that blood spatter was found on a T-shirt Murdaugh was wearing the night of the killings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The Hawks forward left the ice with blood trickling down his face from a noticeable gash above his right eye but had a noticeable smirk.
    — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of blood

Browse Nearby Words

nuclear families
nuclear family
nuclei
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuclear family.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuclear%20family. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nuclear family

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nuclear family

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All