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.

After years spent detained in Syria, the freedom of the Islamic State group-linked families who landed back in their homeland of Australia this week was dramatically short lived.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Hinkley, 21, died at the crash site in September, and his fiancée, 20-year-old Madeline Fox, suffered “catastrophic” injuries, including permanent brain trauma, according to a lawsuit filed this week by their families against Riverside County.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

“This is just a small step, but it’s one step in that direction to encourage more families to begin their family formation earlier.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The witness was also asked by the lawyer about safety issues that could have arisen for local families whose back gardens adjoin the waste ground where the culvert is located.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

“Meeting with the Polish families, was that an assignment for the embassy?”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin