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.

On phone calls, and in person, the families of the dead girls began to meet to share their grief and swap notes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Still, the Eastlands say they consulted a few Heaven’s 27 families before deciding whether and when to reopen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Mattresses on top of cars and families on motorbikes indicated that people were on the move - but many are not returning to stay.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

In a state where roughly 60% of farmworkers are undocumented, according to surveys by UC Merced Community and Labor Center, many already feared being deported or separated from their families.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

We haven’t spoken in over a year, ever since their families converted, but now I feel an urge to wish them well.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar