family
A1Neutral to formal; universally used across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
A group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption, typically living together.
Any group of people or things united by shared characteristics, origin, or purpose.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The concept can denote biological, legal, or social bonds. It can be singular collective (treating the group as a unit) or plural (referring to individual members).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
BrE sometimes uses 'family' as a plural noun ('My family are coming'), whereas AmE more consistently treats it as singular ('My family is coming').
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Family' can have stronger traditional connotations in certain BrE contexts.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the family of [someone]a family of [things/animals]member of the familypart of the familyrun in the familyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “family tree”
- “black sheep of the family”
- “start a family”
- “in the family way”
- “like one of the family”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a company owned and controlled by members of a single family.
Academic
Used in sociology, biology (family as a taxonomic rank), linguistics (language family).
Everyday
Refers to one's relatives or the people one lives with.
Technical
In taxonomy, a category ranking above genus and below order.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He's been familyed out of his inheritance.
- She was familyed from the estate.
adjective
British English
- They run a family business.
- We had a family discussion.
- It's a family-friendly restaurant.
American English
- They run a family business.
- We had a family meeting.
- It's a family-oriented policy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have a big family.
- My family lives in London.
- This is a photo of my family.
- Her family comes from Italy.
- We're having a family dinner on Sunday.
- Family is very important to me.
- The project was a real family affair, involving cousins and uncles.
- He traces his family back to the 18th century.
- The policy aims to support working families.
- The royal family's influence has waned over the centuries.
- The languages belong to the same Indo-European family.
- They managed to keep the family-owned brewery running for generations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of FAMILY as 'Father And Mother I Love You'.
Conceptual Metaphor
Family as a tree (with branches, roots); Family as a unit (a team, a building block of society).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'фамилия' (last name).
- Be aware that 'my family' refers to the group, not a single relative ('родственник').
- Remember collective noun agreement can differ from Russian plural/singular rules.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'families' incorrectly for singular possessive (e.g., 'my families house' instead of 'my family's house').
- Confusing 'family' with 'relatives' in specific contexts.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'family' used as an adjective?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is countable (one family, two families). However, when referring to your own relatives, it is often used without an article ('I'm spending time with family').
Both are correct, but usage differs. 'Family is' (singular) focuses on the group as a single unit. 'Family are' (plural) focuses on the individual members. AmE prefers 'is'; BrE uses both.
'Family' often implies a closer, core unit (parents, children, siblings), while 'relatives' can include more distant relations (cousins, aunts, uncles). 'Family' also carries stronger emotional and cohabitation connotations.
Yes, in extended or technical use. For example, 'a family of languages' (e.g., Romance languages), 'a family of products' (e.g., smartphone models), or in biology 'the cat family' (Felidae).
Collections
Part of a collection
Family Members
A1 · 44 words · Words for family, people and relationships at home.
Relationships
B1 · 49 words · Vocabulary for interpersonal and social connections.