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.

Clinical Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medicine, says the decline of extended family involvement has helped fuel what the U.S.

From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026

This time, four generations of extended family as well as friends are going, with Heather at the centre organising it all.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

They’re also at times footing the bill for their extended family.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

When Kaiser Kuo first visited China in the summer of 1981, his extended family there would ask him and his brother to sing some American tunes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

As part of the process, the loyalty of his entire extended family was checked.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden