Definitions for familyˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li

fam•i•ly^*ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li(n.; adj.)(pl.)-lies

(n.)parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not.
the children of one person or one couple collectively.
the spouse and children of one person.
Category: Usage Note
any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
all those persons considered as descendants of a common progenitor.
a group of persons who form a household, esp. under one head.
the staff, or body of assistants, of an official:
the presidential family.
a group of related things:
the halogen family of elements.
a group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals.
Biol. the usual major subdivision of an order or suborder in the classification of plants, animals, fungi, etc., usu. consisting of several genera.
Category: Biology
Ling. the largest category into which languages related by common origin can be classified with certainty.
Category: Language/Linguistics
Ref: Compare stock (def. 12) 12 , subfamily (def. 2). 2
a local unit of the Mafia or Cosa Nostra.
Category: Sociology
(adj.)of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a family:
a family trait.
belonging to or used by a family.
suitable or appropriate for adults and children: not containing obscene language:
a family amusement park.
a family newspaper.
Category: Common Vocabulary

^* Usage: See collective noun.

1350–1400; ME familie < L familia

family, household, house, home, menage(noun)
a social unit living together
"he moved his family to Virginia"; "It was a good Christian household"; "I waited until the whole house was asleep"; "the teacher asked how many people made up his home"
family, family unit(noun)
primary social group; parents and children
"he wanted to have a good job before starting a family"
class, category, family(noun)
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
"there are two classes of detergents"
family, family line, folk, kinfolk, kinsfolk, sept, phratry(noun)
people descended from a common ancestor
"his family has lived in Massachusetts since the Mayflower"
kin, kinsperson, family(noun)
a person having kinship with another or others
"he's kin"; "he's family"
family(noun)
(biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera
"sharks belong to the fish family"
syndicate, crime syndicate, mob, family(noun)
a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities
family, fellowship(noun)
an association of people who share common beliefs or activities
"the message was addressed not just to employees but to every member of the company family"; "the church welcomed new members into its fellowship"

family(noun)ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li
a group consisting usually of parents and children
I'd like to meet your family.; single-parent families; a family of four
familyˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li
to have children
familyˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li
everyone related to sb and the relationship they have with each other
There have been lots of lawyers in our family.; Family is important to me.
familyˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li
belonging to a family
She wants to keep the money in the family.
familyˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li
a group of related things
Killer whales are in the same family as dolphins.; a word family

family(Noun)
A father, mother and their sons and daughters; also called nuclear family.
Our family lives in town.
family(Noun)
A group of people related by blood, marriage, law, or custom.
crime family, Mafia family
family(Noun)
A kin, tribe; also called extended family.
family(Noun)
A rank in the classification of organisms, below order and above genus; a taxon at that rank.
Magnolias belong to the family Magnoliaceae.
family(Noun)
A group of people who live together, or one that is similar to one that is related by blood, marriage, law, or custom, or members of one's intimate social group.
family(Noun)
Any group or aggregation of things classed together as kindred or related from possessing in common characteristics which distinguish them from other things of the same order.
family(Noun)
A group of instrument having the same basic method of tone production.
family(Noun)
A group of languages believed to have descended from the same ancestral language.
family(Adjective)
Suitable for children and adults.
family(Adjective)
Conservative, traditional.
The cultural struggle is for the survival of family values against all manner of atheistic amorality.
family(Adjective)
Homosexual.
I knew he was family when I first met him.

Origin: familia, from famula.

Family(verb)
the collective body of persons who live in one house, and under one head or manager; a household, including parents, children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers or boarders
Family(verb)
the group comprising a husband and wife and their dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the organization of society
Family(verb)
those who descend from one common progenitor; a tribe, clan, or race; kindred; house; as, the human family; the family of Abraham; the father of a family
Family(verb)
course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage
Family(verb)
honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man of family
Family(verb)
a group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family
Family(verb)
a group of organisms, either animal or vegetable, related by certain points of resemblance in structure or development, more comprehensive than a genus, because it is usually based on fewer or less pronounced points of likeness. In zoology a family is less comprehesive than an order; in botany it is often considered the same thing as an order

FAMILY
Originally a wife and several children, a matter of pride to the possessor. Now obsolete among the careful, or confined to the wife, a bull pup and a canary bird.