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.

“Visitation for families has been cut. Communication has been cut, too,” she said.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

News that Law will not stand trial for murder came as a disappointment to some families.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Middle-class households in particular are struggling to pay down balances as more families “shift to a pattern of survival debt,” said Bruce McClary, spokesman for the foundation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Their families say German authorities are trying to make an example of them.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

For thirty years she had worked as a governess in wealthy families and she continually compared our behavior with that of the young ladies and gentlemen she was used to.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom