nuclear family

American  

[noo-klee-er fam-uh-lee, fam lee, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər ˈfæm ə li, ˈfæm li, ˈnyu- /

noun

1. a social unit composed of two parents and one or more children.

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nuclear family British  

noun

1. sociol anthropol a primary social unit consisting of parents and their offspring Compare extended family

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nuclear family Cultural  

1. A type of family made up only of parents and their children. (Compare extended family.)

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Pronunciation

See nuclear ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of nuclear family

First recorded in 1945–50

Compare meaning

How does nuclear-family compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nuclear family vs. extended family

Example Sentences

But the breakdown of the nuclear family may very well be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The 20th century saw the rise of the nuclear family, and most homes were bought and occupied by parents and their children.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

Scott recalled growing up in a working-class family in Birmingham, "in a world of soap operas and things" where TV characters were mostly in heterosexual relationships or "settled down" in a nuclear family.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

This contrasts with the Western nuclear family model, where learning is often centered around parents or teachers in a formalized school setting.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

In the close quarters of an American nuclear family, their mother's prodigious energy was becoming a real drain on their self-determination.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez