first family
Americannoun
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a family having the highest or one of the highest social ranks in a given place.
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(often initial capital letters) the family of the president of the U.S. or the family of the governor of a state.
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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.
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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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.