clan
Americannoun
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a group of families or households, as among the Scottish Highlanders, the heads of which claim descent from a common ancestor.
the Mackenzie clan.
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a group of people of common descent; family.
Our whole clan got together for Thanksgiving.
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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.
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Anthropology.
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the principal social unit of tribal organization, in which descent is reckoned exclusively in either the paternal or the maternal line.
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a group of people regarded as being descended from a common ancestor.
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noun
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a group of people interrelated by ancestry or marriage
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a group of families with a common surname and a common ancestor, acknowledging the same leader, esp among the Scots and the Irish
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a group of people united by common characteristics, aims, or interests
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clan
1375–1425; late Middle English ( Scots ) < Scots Gaelic clann < Old Irish cland offspring < Latin planta scion, plant, perhaps directly < British Celtic; compare Welsh plant children
Explanation
A clan is an extended family. Your clan might include your parents and siblings, but also your cousins and second cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Families that are related to each other, whether through marriage or as distant cousins, are members of the same clan. If you get together with a big family group every summer, you can say you vacation with your clan. In Scotland, a person's clan has a specific name, like "clan MacLachlan." The word comes from the Gaelic clann, "family" or "offspring," with the Latin root planta, "offshoot."
Vocabulary lists containing clan
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
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English Words Derived from Gaelic
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Code Talker
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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.
From the 14th Century onwards, the hill was the seat of military and political power of the O'Neill clan, chosen because of its height advantage and panoramic views.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Longet was a regular on the show, and the family-oriented Christmas TV specials, often featuring the entire Williams clan, were a ratings juggernaut.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
The senator, who is not related to the famous political clan that produced former president John F Kennedy and Trump's health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, said his resolution is about "shared sacrifice."
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
It isn’t acknowledged as such, but that book provides Ms. Hadlow and this series with many of the set pieces with which Mary’s saga is constructed, even if the plotline stays with the Bennet clan.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Next, she smeared ash on her skin to mask her scent, and oiled her bow with a couple of crushed hazelnuts, chanting: ‘May the clan guardian fly with me and make the hunt successful.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
