family
/ˈfæm(ɪ)li/ noun A1- A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family. · Our family lives in town.
- A group of related animals, usually a mother and offspring, a mating pair or larger lineages in some species.
- An extended family: a group of people who are related to one another by blood or marriage.
- A nuclear family: a mother and father who are married and cohabiting and their child or children. · The cultural struggle is for the survival of family values against all manner of atheistic amorality.· We must preserve the family unit if we want to save civilisation!
- Members of one's family collectively. · I have a lot of family in Australia.· He has a sister, but no other family.
- A (close-knit) group of people related by blood, friendship, marriage, law, or custom, especially if they live or work together. · crime family, Mafia family· This is my fraternity family at the university.
- The gay community.
- Lineage, especially honorable or noble lineage.
Plural families
From the library
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
You know I never had tea at a manse before, and I’m not sure that I know all the rules of etiquette, although I’ve been studying the rules given in the Etiquette Department of the Family Herald ever since I came here.
Our family always _hated_ cats: nasty, low, vulgar things!
The motto of all the mongoose family is “Run and find out,” and Rikki-tikki was a true mongoose.
Other matches
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