extended family

[ik-sten-did fam-uh-lee, fam lee] / ɪkˈstɛn dɪd ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

NOUN

parents, children, and relatives

Synonyms

STRONGEST

nuclear family

WEAK

binuclear family kinship group menage ménage relations

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 land on which the Methodist church now stands was donated by members of the same extended family connected to the tree.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Roughly four decades ago, members of the extended family made a journey in the opposite direction.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

At the time, Fatone was married to Kelly Baldwin, with whom he shares two children—and the two had invited several members of his extended family over for a celebration.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Two weeks later, the holy man came to the Peterhof Palace outside St. Petersburg at the suggestion of two sisters who were part of the czar’s extended family.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Song Po-po told us our extended family used to occupy two whole buildings, ten rooms all together.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang