immediate family

American  

[ih-mee-dee-it fam-uh-lee, fam lee] / ɪˈmi di ɪt ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li /

noun

• immediate families
  plural

1. a social unit consisting of people who are very closely related, usually including parents, siblings, spouses, and children, or the members of this social unit.

   Benefits include free medical treatment for the employee and immediate family.

   Members of her immediate family and several former colleagues were also in attendance.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• immediate families
  plural

Etymology

Origin of immediate family

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

immediate family

There are a few exemptions, such as if an immediate family member is living in the home or if it is rented out long-term.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Also in June, China barred Teodoro, Manila's defence secretary, and his immediate family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

In the U.S., employees can take up to nine weeks of leave annually to care for immediate family members who are critically or terminally ill.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Like all those outside, he worries constantly for his immediate family, who luckily all survived the war.

From Barron's ● May 9, 2026

There was one woman who seemed to have no immediate family; just one estranged brother.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman