family
- Top 1000
Sense 1
- noun
- A1
A group of people who are closely related, such as parents, children, brothers and sisters.
Our whole family meets at the old cottage every August.
The family next door invited us over for coffee.
She sends money home to support her family abroad.
Photographs of three generations of the family hang in the hallway.
Common collocations: a close family · the whole family · extended family · family member · start a family · family life
Part of: Family, Relationships, Life events
Sense 2 · less common
- noun
- C1
A large group of animals or plants that scientists put together because they are related.
Tigers and house cats belong to the same family.
This climbing plant is part of the rose family.
Scientists placed the new species in a separate family.
Common collocations: belong to a family · the cat family · the same family · a plant family
Part of: Animals, Plants, Science and technology
Forms
- plural
- families