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.

The strain extends to the seafarers' families at home, worried about their stranded loved ones -- or in the worst cases, bereaved.

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

After years spent detained in Syria, the freedom of the Islamic State group-linked families who landed back in their homeland of Australia this week was dramatically short lived.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Hinkley, 21, died at the crash site in September, and his fiancée, 20-year-old Madeline Fox, suffered “catastrophic” injuries, including permanent brain trauma, according to a lawsuit filed this week by their families against Riverside County.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Have your kids take extended leaves of absence from school and go live with other families somewhere else.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Perfume bottles—empty many years—because well-bred families always gave the governess perfume for Christmas.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom