nuclear family

noun

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

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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 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 In this case, the one on trial is the nuclear family. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The nuclear family at the heart of the story are first met living in the rustic splendor of the German countryside, in a scruffy, characterful house far bigger than this family of three — Philip, Lucy and their six- or seven-year-old son Johnny (Malo Blanchet) — obviously needs. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 15 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 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
  • In addition to Nancy and Grayton, Weston is survived by his father, Keith, and other extended family.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 11 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
  • The project carries the official blessing of Baker’s sons Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, along with the Rainbow tribe.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The passage about the group of hippies going out to the pueblo and giving the Native kids LSD and hooking up on the tribe’s sacred ground until they get run off is priceless.
    — Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of tribe
Noun
  • Google said maintaining Loviisa’s nuclear generation would help preserve access to reliable and affordable electricity for Finnish households, businesses and industry.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Worth singling out for praise is the hotel’s charming and discreetly omnipresent service, which creates something of the intimacy of a grand private household.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of household
Noun
  • Jessel goes to visit her house with a regifted candle and asks how Sai’s husband David feels about the move.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Nordic distribution is handled by Scanbox Entertainment, with worldwide sales managed by Copenhagen based international sales and aggregation house LevelK.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • Charli is but one member of the D’Amelio clan, albeit the most famous.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The new play follows the fortunes of a wealthy but troubled clan through a turbulent period in Nigeria’s recent history.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • Laurie came home soon after, finding him with a trail of blood dotting his shirt.
    — Mirin Fader, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Sumud denies the colonizer their desire to record history in our blood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blood

Browse Nearby Words

nuclear families
nuclear family
nuclei
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Cite this Entry

“Nuclear family.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuclear%20family. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nuclear family

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nuclear family

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