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 visit, to mark the one-year countdown to next year's Invictus Games for wounded veterans, was meant to be Harry's first family trip back to the UK in four years.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
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
Still, after nearly nine months of parenthood, my husband and I were going stir crazy and decided we were ready for our first family vacation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The arrest in South Africa of the youngest son of Zimbabwe's former President, Robert Mugabe, has brought renewed attention to the former first family and their controversies over the years.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
“No, Niamh. My name was changed by the first family I came to.”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
