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 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

Fifteen families have viewed Wei's file but none has expressed an interest in adopting him.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

While some of those were due to duplicate entries or deceased voters, many were also removed for “logical discrepancies” flagged by software such as too-large families or improbable age gaps between parents and children.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Some families are also rejecting the eye ointment.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

If my goal is to pull the files for the remaining boys whose families we haven’t visited there’s no way for me to do so en masse.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse