American Dictionary

Define dictionary terms easily in our powerful online English dictionary.

Searching for...

No matching words found

Try a different search term or browse the dictionary

Definition family in American English

family noun

noun
/ˈfæm(ə)li/
1

a group of people who live together and are related to one another, usually consisting of parents and children

Example

A family with two children lives next door.

Example

Is the Watson family going to be there?

Example

He grew up in a large middle-class family.

Example

Single-parent families are increasingly common.

Example

The tent is big enough for a family of six.

Synonyms and related words
1.1

a group of people who are all related to one another, including dead members of the group

Example

Does your family have any history of heart disease?

Example

She did not want the property to go to anyone outside the family.

Example

The boatyard had been in his family for four generations.

Synonyms and related words
1.2

people who are related to you

Example

We spent our vacation visiting family in Scotland.

Example

We ought to help him, after all, he is family.

Example

We had Christmas lunch in the company of family and friends.

Example

He's like one of the family.

Synonyms and related words
2

children in a family

Example

The soldier had a wife and family.

Example

They want to get married and start a family.

Example

It's difficult raising a family on one salary.

Synonyms and related words
3

a group of animals or plants that are related. A family has fewer members than an order or class

Example

Kidney beans belong to the bean family.

Synonyms and related words
4

if a particular quality or ability runs in the family, a lot of people in that family have it

Example

Athletic ability runs in the family: his father played basketball in college and his mother was a high school athlete.

Definition family in American English