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 resolution calls for expanding dual language preschool programs, to ensure that all elementary dual language programs have a linked preschool that would enable families to start their children learning a second language earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Their bodies were returned to their families on Day 330.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

In diagnosing the problem, the wing of Latin Catholicism that both Francis and Leo represent saw the church’s historical links with elite power structures and oligarchical families as a key vulnerability.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

"What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families," she wrote in Spanish.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

And sometimes the families we build are just as strong as those we’re born into.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin