clan

clan — noun

1. a traditional social unit found mostly in Scotland whose members share a common

1.nounB2
Definition

a traditional social unit found mostly in Scotland whose members share a common surname, trace their roots to a shared founder, and answer to a chief

Example

The MacKenzie clan gathers each summer at the old castle for a celebration.

clan + singular verb (collective noun pattern)

At the Highland Games you can tell someone's clan by the tartan pattern they wear.

someone's clan (possessive determiner + clan)

Common collocations
  • clan chief
  • clan tartan
  • clan member
  • clan gathering
  • head of the clan
  • clan territory
Synonyms
  • tribe

    used for non-Scottish traditional groups; broader and more common internationally

  • house

    suggests a noble or royal family line rather than the full clan system

Grammar Patterns

clan + of + plural noun

Usage Note

Often capitalized when referring to a specific named clan, e.g., the MacLeod clan. The clan surname is normally the one the chief uses, prefixed by Mac- (meaning 'son of').

Common Mistakes

The MacDonald clan are all from the same town.
The MacDonald clan claims a shared ancestor in the Highlands.
Clan implies a genealogical bond, not merely a shared hometown.

2. any extended family that includes many relatives across generations, or a close

2.nounB2
Definition

any extended family that includes many relatives across generations, or a close community bonded by a particular interest, job, or hobby

Example

The entire Watanabe clan took up three long tables at the wedding banquet.

entire + clan (emphasising the whole group)

A local clan of knitters gathers every Wednesday afternoon at the library.

clan of + [activity noun]

Common collocations
  • whole clan
  • entire clan
  • the X clan
  • gaming clan
  • online clan
  • join a clan
Synonyms
  • tribe

    informal; suggests a group sharing a strong subculture or lifestyle

  • community

    less emotive; can refer to a looser, location-based or interest-based group

  • family

    narrower in meaning; clan implies a bigger, more extended network

Grammar Patterns

clan + of + plural noun

possessive + clan

Usage Note

When used of a family, clan suggests a larger and looser grouping than 'family' — often including cousins, in-laws, and distant relatives. For interest groups, it carries a warm sense of belonging and loyalty.

Common Mistakes

My clan has only three people.
My clan has thirty members spread across four generations.
Clan implies a sizeable group, not a nuclear family.

Word family

  • clannish
    adjectiveC1
  • clannishly
    adverbC1
  • clansman
    nounC1
  • clanswoman
    nounC1
  • clanship
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Clan (sense 2) emphasises a close, loyal network connected by blood or a shared passion. Tribe is more informal and often suggests a subculture or lifestyle group (e.g., 'the festival tribe'), but also carries anthropological weight that clan does not. Community is broader and less emotional — it can mean anyone living in the same area or using the same online platform. Family is narrower, typically referring to parents, children, and close relatives, whereas clan covers distant cousins and in-laws. Group is the most generic of the four and lacks the warmth and loyalty that clan implies. For example, 'the whole gaming clan stayed up all night' feels tighter than 'the whole gaming group stayed up.'

tribe ↗community ↗family ↗group ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • clan chief
  • clan member
  • clan leader
  • clan gathering
  • clan tartan
  • clan name
  • clan history

Phrases

  • head of the clan
  • part of a clan
  • members of the clan
  • belong to a clan

Etymology

LatinOld IrishScottish GaelicEnglish

Clan comes from Scottish Gaelic clann, meaning 'children' or 'offspring,' which in turn comes from Old Irish cland, borrowed from Latin planta ('a shoot, a sprout'). The sense of a family group claiming a common ancestor has been in English since the early 1400s, and the word spread beyond Scotland to describe any tight-knit group by the 1700s.