family

family — noun

1. people who are tied to one another through birth, legal union, or legal care — p

1.nounA1
Definition

people who are tied to one another through birth, legal union, or legal care — particularly mothers, fathers, and the kids they raise together.

Example

Theo's family moved to Taiwan when he was eight years old.

family + singular verb

Every Sunday, the Salma family gathers for a big home-cooked meal.

Common collocations
  • immediate family
  • close family
  • extended family
  • family member
  • family gathering
  • start a family
  • raise a family
Synonyms
  • household

    focuses on people living under one roof, not necessarily related

  • relatives

    broader, includes extended family members not living together

  • kin

    more formal or old-fashioned, emphasises blood ties

Antonyms
  • stranger

    someone not related and not part of the group

Grammar Patterns

the + family + singular/plural verb

family of + number

Usage Note

Can be treated as singular or plural in British English: 'the family is' (as a unit) vs 'the family are' (as individuals). American English prefers the singular.

Common Mistakes

I love my familiar.
I love my family.
'familiar' means well-known, not related by blood.

2. a person's children, especially when they are young and living at home.

2.nounA1
Definition

a person's children, especially when they are young and living at home.

Example

Padma and her husband want to start a family next year.

start a family (begin having children)

Valentina put her career on hold to stay home and raise a family.

raise a family

Common collocations
  • start a family
  • raise a family
  • young family
  • bring up a family
Synonyms
  • children

    more direct; 'family' is a collective term

  • kids

    informal; 'family' sounds more neutral and formal

Grammar Patterns

have/raise/bring up + a family

young family

start a family

Usage Note

This sense often appears in fixed phrases like 'start a family' or 'raise a family'. It is uncountable when referring to the concept of having children ('they want family'), but countable when referring to a specific set ('they have a large family').

Common Mistakes

They have three families.' (meaning three children)
They have three children.
'family' in this sense refers to the group, not individual kids.

3. people not linked by blood who form very close ties through shared experiences,

3.nounB1
Definition

people not linked by blood who form very close ties through shared experiences, values, or interests — for instance, coworkers who stand by each other in tough times, or members of a tight-knit community.

Example

Indra considers her dance group a family because they have been through so much together.

considers [group] a family

Sora's teammates became like a second family when he moved to a new city.

like a family (metaphorical)

Common collocations
  • like family
  • chosen family
  • family of friends
  • second family
Synonyms
  • community

    broader, less emotionally intense; can be based on location

  • clan

    implies a tight-knit group with loyalty, but can sound old-fashioned

  • fellowship

    more formal, often used in religious or academic contexts

Grammar Patterns

a family of + noun

like family

Usage Note

Frequently used in the phrases 'like family' and 'chosen family' to emphasise emotional closeness without blood relation.

4. two grown animals and the babies they care for, living and moving together as a

4.nounB1
Definition

two grown animals and the babies they care for, living and moving together as a unit.

Example

A family of ducks waddled across the park path this morning.

a family of + animal

Asher watched a fox family playing outside their den at dusk.

Common collocations
  • a family of ducks/bears/lions/deer
  • animal family
  • pride
  • herd

Grammar Patterns

a family of + animal

[animal] family

5. a level in the scientific classification of living things, situated between genu

5.nounB2
Definition

a level in the scientific classification of living things, situated between genus and order in the taxonomy system, grouping together organisms that share key characteristics.

Example

Andrei learned that roses belong to the Rosaceae family.

the [name] family (scientific naming)

Botanists classify tomatoes and potatoes in the same plant family.

Common collocations
  • plant family
  • animal family
  • belong to the [name] family
  • members of the [name] family

Grammar Patterns

the + [animal/plant] + family

family of + species

Usage Note

In scientific writing, family names are often capitalised and written in Latin (e.g. 'Felidae', 'Rosaceae'). Used with 'the' plus the common name ('the cat family') or the Latin name alone ('Felidae').

6. a set of related items, such as languages that developed from the same source, c

6.nounB2
Definition

a set of related items, such as languages that developed from the same source, chemical elements with similar properties, or products sharing a brand name.

Example

French, Spanish, and Italian all come from the same language family.

language family

The Suzuki family of cars includes several different models for city driving.

family of [products]

Common collocations
  • language family
  • product family
  • family of elements
  • family of languages
Synonyms
  • group

    more general, less technical; 'family' implies shared origin

  • class

    often used for categories with shared properties

  • set

    most neutral; 'family' suggests historical or natural connection

Grammar Patterns

a family of + noun

Usage Note

Common in specialist contexts: linguistics (language families), chemistry (families of elements), and marketing (product families).

Idioms

run in the family

idiom

to be a common characteristic or ability that appears in many members of the same family across generations.

Both Theo and his grandfather have red hair, so it clearly runs in the family.

Musical talent runs in the Salma family — her aunt is a concert pianist.

in the family way

idiom

an old-fashioned expression meaning pregnant.

In the novel, the eldest daughter finds herself in the family way.

like family

idiom

describing someone who is treated with the same love and care as a close relative, even though they are not related.

The babysitter has been with them for years and is treated like family.

Andrei's neighbours welcomed him like family when he first moved in.

(be/get) in the family way

idiom

This means a woman is going to have a baby.

Maya is in the family way and due in March.

Did you hear that Sara got in the family way?

family — adjective

Word family

  • familiar
    adjectiveA2
  • familiarity
    nounB2
  • familiarize
    verbB2
  • familial
    adjectiveC1
  • unfamiliar
    adjectiveB1
  • family-friendly
    adjectiveB1
  • family-oriented
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to a group of connected people, but they differ in scope and tone. 'Household' focuses on those who share a home — a couple and their lodger living together are a household but not necessarily a family. 'Relatives' is the broadest: it includes everyone connected by blood or marriage, from grandparents to distant cousins, whether or not they live nearby. 'Kin' is more literary and old-fashioned; you might read 'kin' in a novel or legal document ('next of kin'), but rarely in casual conversation. 'Clan' implies a very large, extended group bound by loyalty or ancestry, often with a tribal or historical feel. In everyday speech, 'family' is the most natural word for the people you live with or feel closest to. For example: 'My relatives live all over the world, but I only see my immediate family at Christmas.'

household ↗relativeskinclan ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • not applicable — family as noun/adjective does not typically take adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • in the family
  • of the family
  • from a family
  • with family

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'family' comes from the Latin word 'familia', which originally referred to the household servants and slaves living under one roof, rather than blood relatives. 'Familia' itself derives from 'famulus', meaning 'servant'. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from 'household staff' to 'the entire household including relatives and servants', and eventually narrowed to refer mainly to a group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption. The word entered English through Old French 'familie' in the 15th century, and its modern sense — parents and their children as the core unit — became dominant by the 18th century.