family
/ˈfæməli/
Reviewed on
Type
Noun
Meaning
A group of people made up of parents and their children.
There are five people in my family: my parents, my two brothers, and me.
All the people who are related to you, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Our whole family gets together for a big dinner every summer.
The children of a parent or couple.
They want to start a family after they buy a house.
A group of similar things, such as animals, plants, or languages, that are related to each other.
Lions and house cats belong to the same family.
How it's used
When this means “used before a noun to mean 'for or relating to a family'”
- family + noun
We watched a family movie on Friday night.
When this means “in American English 'family' usually takes a singular verb”
- family is/are
My family is planning a trip to the mountains.
When this means “used to name a group of related animals, plants, or things”
- the + noun + family
The tomato is part of the nightshade family.
Collocations
- family member
- close family
- family dinner
- extended family
- family reunion
- start a family
- raise a family
- family of languages
Idioms
run in the family
to be common among people who are related
Being tall runs in the family.