clan
Americannoun
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a group of families or households, as among the Scottish Highlanders, the heads of which claim descent from a common ancestor.
the Mackenzie clan.
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a group of people of common descent; family.
Our whole clan got together for Thanksgiving.
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a group of people, as a clique, set, society, or party, especially as united by some common trait, characteristic, or interest.
a clan of actors and directors.
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Anthropology.
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the principal social unit of tribal organization, in which descent is reckoned exclusively in either the paternal or the maternal line.
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a group of people regarded as being descended from a common ancestor.
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noun
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a group of people interrelated by ancestry or marriage
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a group of families with a common surname and a common ancestor, acknowledging the same leader, esp among the Scots and the Irish
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a group of people united by common characteristics, aims, or interests
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clan
1375–1425; late Middle English ( Scots ) < Scots Gaelic clann < Old Irish cland offspring < Latin planta scion, plant, perhaps directly < British Celtic; compare Welsh plant children
Explanation
A clan is an extended family. Your clan might include your parents and siblings, but also your cousins and second cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Families that are related to each other, whether through marriage or as distant cousins, are members of the same clan. If you get together with a big family group every summer, you can say you vacation with your clan. In Scotland, a person's clan has a specific name, like "clan MacLachlan." The word comes from the Gaelic clann, "family" or "offspring," with the Latin root planta, "offshoot."
Vocabulary lists containing clan
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
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English Words Derived from Gaelic
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Code Talker
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Billy Idol, chanteuse Sade, metal legends Iron Maiden and Manchester outfits Joy Division and New Order were also honored, along with hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and velvet-voiced crooner Luther Vandross.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Oasis’ nomination arrives in the wake of the British band’s hugely successful reunion tour, while the nod for the Wu-Tang Clan follows what the rap group called a farewell tour.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
Nichola and her friend Maddy Brew bought tickets for the next Glasgow Clan home game.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
More than a decade ago, pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli paid $2 million for the only copy of a mysterious Wu-Tang Clan album, which he surrendered to the federal government after his 2017 securities-fraud conviction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
He jerked his head at the clan meet and asked if any Wolf Clan were present.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
