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 Both have been hit by corruption allegations involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. — Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Disgruntled United fans also chanted against Jason Wilcox, the club's director of football who was the target of recent criticism from defender Lisandro Martinez, and the Glazer family, the majority owners. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Over three dozen letters from friends, family and neighbors describing their generosity and kindness were submitted. — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 But the war was not finished exacting its toll on Eisenkot’s family. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 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
  • As the two clans battle it out on the field, regardless of who takes home the trophy Lexi may have already won at love.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Looking forward to 2030, all eyes will turn to Bolsonaro clan ally Tarcísio de Freitas, who did not enter the presidential race and instead supported Flávio Bolsonaro.
    — David Unsworth , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of clan
Noun
  • The first phase of the $560 million Medley at Johns Creek project opens Thursday, a first-of-its-kind project for the North Atlanta suburb that will anchor its new downtown.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The plane flies non-stop from the capital directly to Puerto Williams in four hours flat—the only direct commercial flight of its kind.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Noun
  • The country's upper house of parliament voted last month to require UBS to hold 90% of Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital, or about $16 billion in extra shares, as collateral to support its foreign subsidiaries.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The stranger’s dress had been stored in the family’s house for more than a decade.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of house
Noun
  • The complete list of Power 100 honorees — leaders chosen across 11 categories — is available on the Ebony website.
    — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Shouldn’t raising a child with debilitating epilepsy earn me some sort of exemption in the diagnosis category?
    — Jen Murphy Parker, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of category
Noun
  • Indigenous tribes adopted names including the drying rice moon, the falling leaves moon and the migrating moon.
    — Dharma Niles, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The initiatives pitted some of California’s most successful Native American tribes with gaming interests against gambling corporations, including online sports gaming companies DraftKings and FanDuel.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of tribe
Noun
  • The group of girls are just truly amazing and really fight for each other.
    — Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Bats are incredibly diverse—across all mammals, bats include more species than all but one other group, rodents, says Rachel Page, a scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of group
Noun
  • Now, folks can turn to Walmart, Target or Amazon—or go in person to catch a show at Spirit.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • There are 40,000-some-odd folks at American Family Field who will say this was a clear swing and Díaz went too far.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on family

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about family

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