Family Compact

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noun Canadian

the Family Compact the ruling oligarchy in Upper Canada in the early 19th century

(often not capitals) any influential clique

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Words nearby Family Compact

family allowance, Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, family balancing, family Bible, family circle, Family Compact, family court, family credit, Family Division, family doctor, family grouping

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use Family Compact in a sentence

Everywhere I go, ‘Hey Cartman, you must like Family Guy, right?’
Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie|Arthur Chu|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The third suspect, an 18-year-old named Hamyd Mourad, who turned himself in, is part of the same extended family.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Saved from the public gallows, Weeks was virtually exiled from the city, and wound up in Mississippi, where he raised a family.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A spokesman for Lewisham council said last year that it would be forced to act if the family returned to Britain.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis|Nico Hines|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And that was that if he and his wife were to ever live together again and be happy, the family were to be kept out of it.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
“This house must have been the hotel of some distinguished family, Baron; it is nobly proportioned,” said David Arden.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
What course was taken to supply that assembly when any noble family became extinct?
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
The pig family did not know when Squinty would be taken away from them, and all they could do was to wait.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
Mrs. Jolly Robin had often wished—when she was trying to feed a rapidly-growing family—that she could hunt forp.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey