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 new contract maintains free healthcare for union members and their families.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

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

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

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