clan
a group of families or households, as among the Scottish Highlanders, the heads of which claim descent from a common ancestor: the Mackenzie clan.
a group of people of common descent; family: Our whole clan got together for Thanksgiving.
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.
Anthropology.
the principal social unit of tribal organization, in which descent is reckoned exclusively in either the paternal or the maternal line.
a group of people regarded as being descended from a common ancestor.
Origin of clan
1Other words from clan
- clanless, adjective
- in·ter·clan, adjective
- subclan, noun
Words Nearby clan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use clan in a sentence
My name is Romulous, I lead the Dark Angels or xDAx a clan primarily based out of Warhammer.
The U.S. Veteran and Wisconsin Boy Who Went to Fight ISIS in Syria | Jacob Siegel | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFranco plays Benjy, the mentally handicapped—and eventually, castrated—member of the Compson clan.
James Franco and Scott Haze on 'The Sound and the Fury' and Gawker 'Outing' Them As A 'Couple' | Marlow Stern | September 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut he said that the Qawasmeh clan has had a long history of working closely with Hamas leadership.
Israeli Claim: Hamas Funded the Kidnapper Who Started the Gaza War | Eli Lake | August 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHappy to be the least of her clan, she becomes greatest among them.
The crowd was there to listen to Chappelle riff on everything from the Wu-Tang clan to Barack Obama to gay rights.
Dave Chappelle’s Triumphant Return to New York City | Alex Suskind | June 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Mark out in your sand-box the boundary lines of the hunting ground of the Horse clan.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth DoppThe strange clan always used it on their way to and from the lowland plains.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth DoppThe strangers soon went away, and the Bison clan forgot about them.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth DoppThe head man of the agricultural clan was elected by the free choice of his fellows, his equals in rank and station.
Man And His Ancestor | Charles MorrisWestern gamblers are legion—a reckless, money-plunging, romantic and venturesome yet an admittedly square-shooting clan.
British Dictionary definitions for clan
/ (klæn) /
a group of people interrelated by ancestry or marriage
a group of families with a common surname and a common ancestor, acknowledging the same leader, esp among the Scots and the Irish
a group of people united by common characteristics, aims, or interests
Origin of clan
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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