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.

The wait list is also used as a “soft no” or a “pat on the back” to maintain relationships with counselors at feeder schools, the college’s donors and legacy families, consultants said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

The hope persists, though: Latifi interviewed several teen moms who are trying to make it big to provide for their young families.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

Meerkats, too, grow their families differently under different conditions.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

But a switch to solar has brought down costs and allowed families to operate the pans for longer.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

The families in our building are a mix of Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Afro-Cubans, and Teresita’s family is Afro-Cuban.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar