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.

Affected families, beneficiaries, and executors do not need to do anything at this stage, the bank said.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Even those with lives, careers and families are fundamentally lost, snared between their pursuit of personal justice and instinctual self-preservation.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

This one doesn’t: It takes money from criminals and returns it to the families who play by the rules.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Costs related to Alzheimer’s care can be astronomical — and for some families, surprising — but there are ways to prepare.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Lydia demanded an explanation, and when the one given didn’t meet her standards, she threatened to pull Ginny from Shady Glen if the Person from Corporate didn’t arrange a meeting with the two families.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman