whanau

British

/ ˈfɑːnaʊ /

noun

(in Māori societies) a family, esp an extended family

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of whanau

Māori

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.

Many Maoris claim to join as much for whanau, or family, as for money, power or thrills.

From Economist • Feb. 8, 2018

The party was able to push ahead with policies to foster the Maori language and a strategy to deliver services to Maori people called whanau ora, after the native word for family.

From BusinessWeek • Nov. 29, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023