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

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

Immigrants lived near the mission, and esteemed Spanish Mexican families lived in large mansions around the churches that dot Old Town in the mid-19th century — many came post-Spanish-Mexican wars.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

Because across the field of relaxing families, on the other side of the red and yellow bounce house, a black SUV is pulling into the parking lot of Evans Park.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller