clan

noun

ˈklan 

1

a

: a Celtic group especially in the Scottish Highlands comprising a number of households whose heads claim descent from a common ancestor

the MacDonald clan

b

: a group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor : family

The whole clan gets together for the holidays.

2

: a group united by a common interest or common characteristics

the country club clan

Synonyms

• body
• bunch
• circle
• clique
• community
• coterie
• coven
• crowd
• fold
• galère
• gang
• klatch
• klatsch
• lot
• network
• pack
• ring
• set

Example Sentences

The tribe is divided into clans.

The whole clan gets together for the holidays.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is most apparent when watching Thomas interact with his family, a clan of nonbelievers. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2023

The boutique hotel is already a favorite of other celebrities including Gigi Hadid, Mandy Moore and the Kardashian-Jenner clan. —Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2023

The Metkayina Reef Home Lego set, as the name suggests, features a Metkayina clan home in Pandora's reefs. —Sarah Toscano, EW.com, 20 Jan. 2023

The most lavish creation being the reef village of Awa'atlu, home to the Metkayina clan, led by wife and husband Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). —Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023

Highly intelligent and deeply emotional, the tulkun are an integral part of the lives of the Metkayina clan. —Adam B. Vary, Variety, 22 Dec. 2022

In The Way of Water’s second act, the Sully family flees their forest home and asks the reef-dwelling Metkayina clan to shelter them. —Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2022

In the eye-popping sci-fi epic, Winslet plays the sagacious Ronal, an alien queen and healer who leads the oceanic Metkayina clan. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2022

The Sullys flee the forest and floating mountains to an oceanside community presided over by Metkayina clan, headed up by Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). —Joey Morona, cleveland, 13 Dec. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Scottish Gaelic clann offspring, clan, from Old Irish cland plant, offspring, from Latin planta plant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing clan

• sub-clan
• inter-clan

• sub-clan
• inter-clan

Kids Definition

clan

noun

ˈklan 

1

a

: a group (as in the Scottish Highlands) made up of households whose heads claim to have a common ancestor

b

: a group of people having a common ancestor : family

2

: a group of persons united by a common interest

the whole clan of actors