extended family

[ik-sten-did fam-uh-lee, fam lee] / ɪkˈstɛn dɪd ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

NOUN

parents, children, and relatives

Synonyms

STRONGEST

nuclear family

WEAK

binuclear family kinship group menage ménage relations

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It feels a little like a reunion, with everyone a part of the extended family.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Living in a “compound household” with extended family felt “oppressive” to him, and he felt more at home in New York City, his son recounts.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

At the time, Fatone was married to Kelly Baldwin, with whom he shares two children—and the two had invited several members of his extended family over for a celebration.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

The court heard how she and her extended family spent five days over Christmas 2011 at a house in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, because her ex-husband required hospital treatment and could not fly back to Nigeria.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

They ran through their list of relatives, but anyone in their extended family would wonder why they weren’t using Baba’s nauka.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins