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first family

American  

noun

  1. a family having the highest or one of the highest social ranks in a given place.

  2. (often initial capital letters) the family of the president of the U.S. or the family of the governor of a state.

  3. a family descended from a colonist or early settler in a country, region, etc..

    one of the first families of Virginia.


Etymology

Origin of first family

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

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.

See Examples For:

The first family has made crypto a particular focus, and the president has also advanced policies to lighten regulation of the emerging sector.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

Nvidia unveiled what it dubbed the world’s first family of open-source models designed to help researchers build quantum processors.

From Barron's Apr. 14, 2026

DIY Dad, as he is known online, started making videos while renovating his first family home in Ipswich, creating a series called Dad Showed Me.

From BBC Feb. 23, 2026

There is footage of the highly choreographed move-in and move-out process that happens every four years when a new first family moves into the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 31, 2026

They live in a larger hut than the first family, but still we are relegated to the corner of the room.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

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