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
- clanless adjective
- interclan adjective
- subclan noun
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
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.
"Several castles have been saved by clan associations, and we are also seeing communities buying their local castle and running projects to save them as focal points for community life," she said.
From BBC
In the late 1980s he began making visits to Fort Pierce, where Mr. McDonough got to know the larger Stewart clan, as well as many of the musician’s bandmates and running buddies.
Main character Kliff is a member of the Greymanes, a warrior clan whose members are dispersed around the continent by the rival Black Bears.
From BBC
“You go around looking like one of the Tarbox clan,” Tansy said.
From Literature
There’s a Prophecy in our clan,’ said Renn as if he hadn’t spoken.
From Literature
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.
