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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.


Etymology

Origin of birth family

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A man whose biological mother was forced to give him up for adoption said it took him 45 years to trace his birth family.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

She has no contact with her birth family - but Poppie wasn't alone as she took her first steps into adulthood last year.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Harker said little about his birth family, Sanchez said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

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

From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025

“Your new worker dragged out three file storage boxes. I found all sorts of information on your birth family, foster homes, schools. . . .”

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

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