extended family

American  

[ik-sten-did fam-uh-lee, fam lee] / ɪkˈstɛn dɪd ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

noun

1. a kinship group consisting of a family nucleus and various relatives, as grandparents, usually living in one household and functioning as a larger unit.

2. (loosely) one's family conceived of as including aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and sometimes close friends and colleagues.

---

extended family British  

noun

1. sociol anthropol a social unit that contains the nuclear family together with blood relatives, often spanning three or more generations

---

extended family Cultural  

1. A type of family in which relatives in addition to parents and children (such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) live in a single household. A nuclear family forms the core of an extended family.

---

Etymology

Origin of extended family

First recorded in 1940–45

Compare meaning

How does extended-family compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nuclear family vs. extended family

Example Sentences

Extended family groups established winter villages, which were the home base and heart of social and ceremonial life.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2021

Extended family can wait, and the friends I actually value already know one way or another.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2021

Extended family and friends, no matter how loved, require what little down time isn’t already dedicated to work and a spouse or kids.

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2021

Extended family tuned in via Zoom, along with Rabbi Sarah Tasman, who had guided them over the months, and called on Rabbi Spiro to officiate in-person.

From New York Times • Aug. 28, 2020

Extended family members of both children sent a joint statement to Phoenix television station KSAZ-TV confirming the deaths and asking for privacy.

From Washington Times • Jun. 10, 2020

Related Words

• nuclear family