families

noun

plural of family
1
as in tribes
a group of persons who come from the same ancestor the Adams family made remarkable contributions to American life for more than two centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in types
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic the flute, the clarinet, the oboe, and other members of the woodwind family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of families Standard rooms might be a tight squeeze for groups of three or more, but everything from a junior suite and up can accommodate families well. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026 The Chicago archdiocese recognized Rubey's work this year by dedicating in his honor a memorial to the lives lost to suicide and their surviving families. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 Wyandotte County has long tried to expand its services for its residents who are homeless, including families. — Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026 Whiting worries the rising cost of living is pricing many, including young families, out of South Florida. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 For Antinori, the emotional damage outweighs the financial loss, Vivoli said, adding that some families have worked there for five generations. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 The Chicago archdiocese recognized Rubey’s work this year by dedicating in his honor a memorial to the lives lost to suicide and their surviving families. — Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Plummer, the Montgomery County Republican chairman, is now on the ballot for the Ohio state Senate and stressed that Trump has been what keeps the GOP's coalition of businesses and working-class families together. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 Most children in foster care live with families, with relatives or with other foster parents. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for families
  1. tribes
  2. types
  3. clans
  4. kinds
  5. houses
  6. categories
  7. people
  8. groups
Noun
  • With a Scott Dunn kids’ club that’s slicker than most London nurseries, the tribes here fluctuate with the school term timetable.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Van Sickle said 11 member tribes rely on treaty rights to harvest resources such as maple sap, cedar boughs and other forest products, essential for guaranteeing traditional ways of life on indigenous lands.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of tribes
Noun
  • The rooms Six spacious room types span a minimum of 475 square feet.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The approach also gives military units more flexibility during different types of missions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of types
Noun
  • Ali Mahmoud Ali, the group's Sudan analyst, said that the latest clashes risk bringing in more Nuba clans into the fight and could increase divisions across South Kordofan, where communities are facing an already dire humanitarian situation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • All Palestinian clans and families in Gaza would also be a target for disarmament, which would have an impact on the future of Hamas and Palestinian armed struggle.
    — Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of clans
Noun
  • At the other end, creators of all kinds are being empowered to tell their stories better.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Dann and her staff have led corporate team-building events, visited day care centers for art activities, and hosts birthday parties and showers of all kinds.
    — Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of kinds
Noun
  • Since at least the 1970s and 1980s, there have been incidents of gang rape of intoxicated, incapacitated women in fraternity houses.
    — Richard Hall, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Hyatt transformed the resort with six new buildings, including additional guest houses; all 117 rooms have also been overhauled, and there is a new pool as well as tons of new activities and programs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of houses
Noun
  • The privacy extends to the luxury categories where Gen Z spends most heavily.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There are 16 categories of rooms, featuring special amenities like private plunge pools, hot tubs, and sky-deck roof terraces.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of categories
Noun
  • Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
  • Organizers say more than 125,000 people are expected throughout the event, bringing in millions of dollars for the local economy.
    — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of people
Noun
  • Nine of the 10 largest individual and family donors in CNBC’s overall top 20 groups are Republican-aligned, accounting for 86 cents of every dollar contributed by the top 10, according to CNBC’s analysis of FEC records.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Though professional society guidelines recommended against performing this biopsy on women 70 or older with early-stage cancer, other groups had reported that it was still being done.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of groups

Browse Nearby Words

familiar spirits
families
family
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Cite this Entry

“Families.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/families. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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