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.

Kemish says some families are "shocked" when the police take their children home, and parents are offered support and guidance.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

My maternal grandparents’ families were murdered in the Holocaust and I just couldn’t understand this mother’s choice.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires sent thousands of families on a quest for shelter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

The obituaries, social media posts and GoFundMe pages capture the utter despair of the families, though none of them reckon with the decision not to get the vitamin K shot.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

Each house was divided into two side-by-side units with two different families living in them.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott