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joint family

American  

noun

  1. a type of extended family composed of parents, their children, and the children's spouses and offspring in one household.


Etymology

Origin of joint family

First recorded in 1875–80

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:

These drama kings and queens of the novel are a chameleonic joint family of disjoint motives.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 23, 2026

He soothed Philip Guston over a negative review during a joint family birthday lunch.

From New York Times Sep. 23, 2022

Contrary to cramped joint family homes where many people share a room and a bathroom, the Garg home is spacious.

From BBC Jun. 9, 2020

Without exception, nuclear families headed by men got the money, undermining the joint family system and the status of women, who had previously played an important role in making key economic decisions.

From Scientific American Mar. 25, 2020

When the head of a joint family dies, his successor is given a turban and betel-leaves, and his forehead is marked by the priest and other relations with sandalwood.

From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume II by Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane)

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