birth family

American  

[burth fam-uh-lee, fam lee] / ˈbɜrθ ˌfæm ə li, ˌfæm li /

noun

1. one's biological parents and siblings, as contrasted with one's adoptive family.

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Etymology

Origin of birth family

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Peter lived most of his life in Australia without realising the truth about his birth family, until his adoptive sister told him in recent years.

From BBC

The parents say they did not receive enough help and that information about the boy's birth family was shared with him against their wishes.

From BBC

It also apologised for the distress caused by giving Mark access to information about his birth family.

From BBC

Matt said one of the biggest errors came when the council gave Mark information about his birth family – even though the Walkers repeatedly asked for this not to happen.

From BBC

“We have not let ourselves as a culture accept the fact that chosen family is family and in many cases it surpasses birth family.”

From The Wall Street Journal