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.

Most grew up in religious or at least morally serious families.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Thailand's foreign ministry said it was "saddened" by the development and that families of the missing crew had been informed.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Young families have always flocked to Hartford’s suburbs for more land and good schools, but competing for a house was hardly the norm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Despite "dealing with death all the time", some staff asked not to work on the Legacy project after the discovery of baby clothes and other items "that reminded them of their own families".

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

I walked around The Village, glancing through candlelit windows where families ate their suppers or children were snuggling in their beds.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff