immediate family

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of immediate family

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

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

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

David Elias KC, defending, said: "A prison sentence will not just impact immediate family but also impact employees, suppliers, and the people who own the horses he trains".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“People were upset, depressed and scared,” and all they had were their phones, Zoom and immediate family, said Karen North, a professor of digital social media and psychology at USC.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

Abdu Kharouf’s immediate family said they believe the intelligence documents, having long suspected their cousin turned on them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

The two of them were all that remained of the immediate family.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French