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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

So Ivanoff, Kristil's parents and extended family began working to change the law and save other lives.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

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

From BBC • May 2, 2026

As Giovanni’s mental state became less stable in recent years, Frank Perez said he and their extended family tried many avenues to get his son and grandson more help.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 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

She ate the same thing every day, except for Mondays, when she packed leftovers from Sunday dinner with her extended family.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Related Words

• nuclear family