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.

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

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Living in a “compound household” with extended family felt “oppressive” to him, and he felt more at home in New York City, his son recounts.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 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

“The pain is unimaginable,” Jessica Hales, who identified herself as a member of Hales’ extended family, wrote in a social media post.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

She ate the same thing every day, except for Mondays, when she packed leftovers from Sunday dinner with her extended family.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows