BACK TO nuclear family

nuclear family vs. extended family

[ noo-klee-er fam-uh-lee, famlee, nyoo- ]
noun
  1. a social unit composed of two parents and one or more children.
[ ik-sten-did fam-uh-lee, famlee ]
noun
  1. a kinship group consisting of a family nucleus and various relatives, as grandparents, usually living in one household and functioning as a larger unit.
  2. (loosely) one's family conceived of as including aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and sometimes close friends and colleagues.

Compare More Commonly Confused Words