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

“The pain is unimaginable,” Jessica Hales, who identified herself as a member of Hales’ extended family, wrote in a social media post.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The story relates Laxman’s making as a demagogue, dwelling on the years in which he used his extended family as a kind of training ground for his megalomania.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Her mother, who only went to primary school, sells fatayas and nems -- savoury pocket pastries and spring rolls -- outside the family's compound where their extended family lives.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

It brings groups of foster families together so they can provide advice, support and respite care for each other, like an extended family.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

My extended family is here, too—crying cousins, tearful aunts, stoic uncles.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Related Words

• nuclear family