tea family
A1Neutral, used across all registers from casual to formal.
Definition
Meaning
A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household; the basic unit in society traditionally founded on kinship, marriage, or adoption.
Any group of people related by blood, marriage, or strong affinity; a category of related things in classification (e.g., languages, plants, products); the descendants of a common ancestor; a group of associated companies or products under one brand.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core sense is kinship-based, but metaphorical extensions are common (e.g., 'family of languages'). Can imply emotional closeness beyond biological ties. 'Family' can be used as a countable noun (two families) or uncountable when referring to the concept (the importance of family).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slight preference in the UK for 'mum and dad' within family contexts vs. US 'mom and dad'. The phrase 'family way' (pregnant) is dated but was more common in British English.
Connotations
Generally identical. Both emphasize nuclear and extended family structures.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[V] to support one's family[Adj] a large/small family[N] a family of [something related] (e.g., a family of birds, a family of products)[Possessive] my/her/their familythe [Surname] familyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “run in the family”
- “a family affair”
- “like one of the family”
- “the black sheep of the family”
- “start a family”
- “family ties”
- “in the family way (dated)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a family-owned or family-run enterprise. 'We are a family business now in its third generation.'
Academic
Used in sociology, biology, linguistics for classification. 'The Romance language family includes French and Spanish.'
Everyday
The most common context, referring to one's own relatives. 'I'm having dinner with my family tonight.'
Technical
In biology: a taxonomic rank (Family Felidae). In mathematics: a set of related mathematical objects.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'family' is not used as a verb in standard English.
American English
- N/A - 'family' is not used as a verb in standard English.
adverb
British English
- N/A - 'family' is not used as an adverb.
American English
- N/A - 'family' is not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- family-friendly policies
- a family-sized packet of biscuits
- family law
American English
- family-friendly restaurants
- a family-size bottle of soda
- family values
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have a small family.
- Her family lives in London.
- We see our family on holidays.
- He comes from a very close-knit family.
- Our family goes to the seaside every summer.
- The hotel is very family-friendly.
- She's researching her family history, tracing back to the 18th century.
- The costs of raising a family have increased dramatically.
- There's a history of heart disease in his family.
- The company, though global, retains the ethos of a family business.
- The Indo-European language family encompasses most major European languages.
- Her work explores the evolving concept of the modern family.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'FAMILY' as 'Father And Mother I Love You' – taking the first letters of each word.
Conceptual Metaphor
ORGANIZATION IS A FAMILY (e.g., 'We're like a family here at work'), CATEGORIES ARE FAMILIES (e.g., 'the violin family of instruments').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend: 'фамилия' in Russian means 'surname' or 'last name', not 'family'. The correct translation for 'family' is 'семья'.
- Confusion with 'relatives' (родственники). 'Family' is a more cohesive, core unit.
Common Mistakes
- Using a plural verb with 'family' as a single unit: 'My family is/are...' (UK often accepts 'are', US strongly prefers 'is').
- Incorrect: 'families' (plural) when referring to the abstract concept. Correct: 'Family is important.'
- Misspelling as 'famly' or 'famili'.
- Using 'big family' vs. the more natural 'large family'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the term 'extended family'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily countable (e.g., 'many families'). It can be uncountable when referring to the general concept or institution (e.g., 'Family is important to me').
It depends on whether you are treating the family as a single unit or as a collection of individuals. In American English, it is almost always singular ('My family is...'). In British English, both are acceptable, with the singular emphasizing unity and the plural emphasizing individual members ('My family is/are coming').
'Family' often implies a closer, more immediate, and cohesive group (like parents, siblings, children). 'Relatives' is a broader, more neutral term for all people related by blood or marriage, including distant cousins.
It is an idiom meaning a characteristic (often a trait, talent, or medical condition) is common among members of the same family. Example: 'Musical talent seems to run in their family.'