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family Definition

fam·ily (fam′ə lē, fam′lē)

noun pl. -·lies

  1. Obsolete all the people living in the same house; household
    1. a social unit consisting of parents and the children they rear
    2. the children of the same parents
    3. one's husband (or wife) and children
  3. a group of people related by ancestry or marriage; relatives
  4. all those claiming descent from a common ancestor; tribe or clan; lineage
  5. a criminal syndicate under a single leader a Mafia family
  6. a commune (sense ) living in one household, esp. under one head
  7. a group of things having a common source or similar features; specif.,
    1. Biol. a major category in the classification of animals, plants, etc., ranking above a genus and below an order: it can include one genus or many similar genera: the Latinized family names are capitalized but not italicized (Ex.: Felidae, cats)
    2. Chem. a group of chemical elements having similar properties, forming one of the vertical columns of the periodic table
    3. Ecol. a community composed of organisms of the same species
    4. Linguis. a parent language and all the languages and dialects descended from it
    5. Math. a set of curves, functions, or other entities with some shared property

Etymology: ME familie < L familia, household establishment, akin to famulus, servant < ? IE *dhe-mo-, house (< base *dhē-: see do) > Sans dhāman, household

adjective

  1. of or for a family a family picnic, the family car
  2. characteristic of or suitable for a family, esp. one regarded as traditional or typical; wholesome, middle-class, etc. family entertainment, family values

family Idioms

in a family way

Informal pregnant; with child

family Synonyms

family

modif.

kindred, familial, tribal; see domestic 1, group.

family Synonyms

family

n.

  1. Blood relatives

    relations, relatives, kin, tribe, folk, clan, dynasty, house, household, kith and kin, kindred, kinfolk, kinsmen, connections, relationship, blood, blood tie, consanguinity, progeny, offspring, descendants, issue, brood, antecedents, forebears, heirs and assigns, generations, race, ancestry, progenitors, forefathers, pedigree, genealogy, descent, parentage, extraction, patrimony, paternity, inheritance, former generations, kinship, lineage, line, one's own flesh and blood, clansmen, strain, stock, breed, parents, siblings, children, in-laws, nuclear family, extended family, the whole tribe*, homefolks*, people*, folks*, nearest and dearest*.

  2. Several of one kind

    order, class, genus, species, subdivision, group; see also class 1.

in a family way*

pregnant, with child, going to have a baby; see pregnant 1.

family Law Definition

n

A group of individuals who share ties of blood, marriage, or adoption; a group residing together and consisting of parents, children, and other relatives by blood or marriage; a group of individuals residing together who have consented to an arrangement similar to ties of blood or marriage.

family Usage Examples

Converse of object

affect: In the UK we are in contact with over 300 families affected by the condition.

Adjective modifier

  • royal: Their biggest ever contract was with the Kuwaiti royal family to persuade the American public to support the first Gulf War.
  • extended: And it became apparent that extended families, tightly genetically interwoven, had advantages for research.
  • whole: The whole family is invited for this evening to remember.
  • low-income: Against health care know that the heads of households low-income families are.
  • wealthy: The Levesons prospered from the wool trade to such a degree that by the fifteenth century they were the wealthiest family in the area.
  • poor: It was a fairly poor family with Gaspare being a textile worker.

Modifies a noun

  • member: Maxwell said she had taken him to a family member 's home nearby, causing the removal of Perry to last for several hours.
  • history: Daughter would like to speak too for family history.
  • bathroom: On the first floor there is a main bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms and family bathroom.
  • holiday: I have very happy memories of Menorca, the location of many family summer holidays.
  • tree: For anyone building their family tree, this is THE place to start!
  • home: The property is an ideal large family home or ideal for two families wishing to live together.

Noun used with modifier

  • host: We then departed with our host family for an evening that helped to cement the bond between three European cultures.
  • farming: I would urge every farming family to take advantage of these courses.
  • birth: We are left wondering if the birth family themselves have donated any media cash they may have received to any charities?
  • ruling: What happened to the Palace of Placentia when the Tudors became the ruling family in England?
  • income: Child Benefit is payable to students under 19 in full time education and Working Family Tax Credit is also available to low income families.

Preposition: of

victim: Nor does it help the families of the victims of September 11.

Preposition: with

child: Around a quarter of our clients are families with children.