families

[fam-uh-leez, fam-leez] / ˈfæm ə liz, ˈfæm liz /

NOUN

kin, offspring; classification

Synonyms

STRONGEST

clan folk group house household people tribe

STRONG

ancestors ancestry birth blood brood children class descendants descent dynasty extraction forebears genealogy generations genre in-laws inheritance issue kind kindred line lineage network parentage pedigree progenitors progeny race relations relationship relatives siblings strain subdivision system

WEAK

heirs and assigns kith and kin menage ménage

Antonyms

STRONG

parent

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.

Critics of the policy say the longstanding system allowed families to stay together during the lengthy application process.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Stacey is one of hundreds of people who contacted the BBC after families said they were being left with hefty bills when inheriting retirement properties.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

But they are also well aware that for some families, the still-evolving space will serve a less highfalutin, if just as important, goal.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

In YouGov’s 2024 Cooperative Election Study, about two-thirds of black Americans said that their state should provide “school voucher subsidies for families to send their children to private or charter schools.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Our two families cross through our shared courtyard, and we all say goodbye and wish one another a good lunch.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar