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.

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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

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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.

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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

Roughly four decades ago, members of the extended family made a journey in the opposite direction.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

At the time, Fatone was married to Kelly Baldwin, with whom he shares two children—and the two had invited several members of his extended family over for a celebration.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

They opened their home, for months at a time and sometimes longer, Polk said, creating a vast extended family that has kept close ties.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Chamberlin and other advocates, see it as an opportunity to build protections for a broad group of people, such as immigrant households that depend on extended family members for child care and support.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Her extended family and friends fill up whole sections of the auditorium at shows and account for thousands of dollars in ticket sales.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• nuclear family