immediate family

American  

[ih-mee-dee-it fam-uh-lee, fam lee] / ɪˈmi di ɪt ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

noun

1. a social unit consisting of people who are very closely related, usually including parents, siblings, spouses, and children, or the members of this social unit.

   Benefits include free medical treatment for the employee and immediate family.

   Members of her immediate family and several former colleagues were also in attendance.

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Etymology

Origin of immediate family

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

I wonder how many people hide their true financial situation from everyone except their immediate family.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Like all those outside, he worries constantly for his immediate family, who luckily all survived the war.

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

Others have joined a push to win benefits similar to those in Los Angeles Unified, where teachers and most other employees do not have to pay monthly premiums for themselves and immediate family members.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

More than two thirds come from low-income homes with no history of university attendance in the immediate family.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

The petition for a green card has to be filed through an immediate family member, and the “child” has to remain unmarried.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi