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1. Dictionary

   Fam·i·ly

   /ˈfam(ə)lē/

   

   noun

   • 1. a group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit: "the family lived in a large house with a lot of land" Similar householdménagenuclear familyinformal:brood
   • ▪ a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage: "friends and family can provide support" Similar relativesrelationsblood relationsfamily memberskinnext of kinkinsfolkkinsmenkinswomenkindredone's (own) flesh and bloodconnectionsextended familyclantribeinformal:famfolksnearest and dearestdated:people
   • ▪ the children of a person or couple: "she has the sole responsibility for a large family" Similar childrenlittle onesyoungstersoffspringprogenydescendantsscionsheirsbroodinformal:kidskiddieskiddiewinkstotssprogsquiverfulissue
   • ▪ a group of people united in criminal activity. informal
   • 2. all the descendants of a common ancestor: "the house has been owned by the same family for 300 years" Similar ancestryparentagebirthpedigreegenealogybackgroundfamily treedescentlineagelineline of descentbloodlinebloodextractionderivationracestrainstockbreeddynastyhouseforebearsforefathersantecedentsprogenitorsrootsoriginsrare:filiationstirps
   • ▪ a race or group of peoples from a common stock.
   • 3. a group of related things: "all manuscripts that share this reading constitute a family"
   • ▪ a principal taxonomic category that ranks above genus and below order, usually ending in -idae (in zoology) or -aceae (in botany): "the cabbage family" Similar taxonomic groupgrouporderclasssubclassgenusspeciesstockstrainlinetechnical:taxonphylum
   • ▪ all the languages ultimately derived from a particular early language, regarded as a group: "the Austronesian language family"
   • ▪ a group of curves or surfaces obtained by varying the value of a constant in the equation generating them.

   adjective

   • 1. designed to be suitable for children as well as adults: "a family newspaper"

   Word Origin late Middle English (in family (sense 2 of the noun); also denoting the servants of a household or the retinue of a nobleman): from Latin familia ‘household servants, family’, from famulus ‘servant’.

   Scrabble Points: 14

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2. People also ask

   What does family mean?

   • Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. Learn more about families in this article.

   Family | Definition, Meaning, Members, Types, & Facts

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   What is a family in sociology?

   • So what is a family? Family is a socially recognized group (usually joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption) that forms an emotional connection among its members and that serves as an economic unit of society. Sociologists identify different types of families based on how one enters into them.

   Defining Family | Introduction to Sociology - Lumen Learning

   courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/defining-family/

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   What is the purpose of a family?

   • Family (from Latin: familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. [according to whom?]

   Family - Wikipedia

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family

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   What does family mean in a sentence?

   • The meaning of FAMILY is the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children; also : any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family. How to use family in a sentence. What is a family?

   Family Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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3. www.britannica.com › topic › family-kinshipFamily | Definition, Meaning, Members, Types, & Facts ...

   www.britannica.com › topic › family-kinship

   • Cached

   Mar 9, 2024 · Family, a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. Learn more about families in this article.

4. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › familyFamily Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › family

   • Cached

   The meaning of FAMILY is the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children; also : any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family. How to use family in a sentence.

5. www.lovetoknow.com › life › relationshipsThe Meaning of Family | LoveToKnow

   www.lovetoknow.com › life › relationships

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   Aug 20, 2021 · Updated August 20, 2021. Thinkstock. The word family is one of the most loosely defined terms in the English language; because it means something different to everyone. While one person may define family as the relatives who share their home, another may consider family to include extended relatives residing near and far.

   • Author: Kristin Mccarthy

6. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › FamilyFamily - Wikipedia

   en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Family

   • Cached

   Family (from Latin: familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. [according to whom?

7. www.nationalgeographic.org › encyclopedia › familyfamily - National Geographic Society

   www.nationalgeographic.org › encyclopedia › family

   • Cached

   Oct 19, 2023 · A family is a group of people related by the ties of blood, marriage, or adoption. Members of a family most often live in a single residence and perform different duties. Members of a family and their duties vary from culture to culture and at different times in history.

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9. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › familyFAMILY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › family

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   a group of people who are related to each other, such as a mother, a father, and their children: A new family has moved in next door. I come from a large family - I have three brothers and two sisters. He doesn't have any family. He's American but his family (= relatives in the past) come from Ireland.

10. courses.lumenlearning.com › defining-familyDefining Family | Introduction to Sociology - Lumen Learning

    courses.lumenlearning.com › defining-family

    • Cached

    Family is a socially recognized group (usually joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption) that forms an emotional connection among its members and that serves as an economic unit of society. Sociologists identify different types of families based on how one enters into them.