[DEFINITION]
FAMILY
Pronunciation:
\ˈfam-lē,
ˈfa-mə-\
Function:
noun
Inflected
Form(s): plural
fam·i·lies
Etymology: Middle English
familie, from
Latin familia
household (including servants as well as
kin of the householder), from
famulus servant
Date:
15th century
1
: a group
of individuals living under one roof and
usually under one head
:
HOUSEHOLD
2 a
: a group
of persons of common ancestry
: CLAN
b
: a people
or group of peoples regarded as deriving
from a common stock
: RACE
3 a
: a group
of people united by certain convictions or a
common affiliation :
FELLOWSHIP b
: the staff
of a high official (as the President)
4 a
: the basic
unit in society traditionally consisting of
two parents rearing their children;
also
: any of
various social units differing from but
regarded as equivalent to the traditional
family <a
single-parent family>
b
: spouse
and children
<want to
spend more time with my family>