extended family

noun

: a family that includes in one household near relatives (such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles) in addition to a nuclear family
Given space, there are ways in which even larger populations than the extended family can be accommodated under one roof.Paul Oliver
also : an extensive group of people who are related by blood or marriage or who otherwise regard themselves as a large family
Four out of every five people who go through a first divorce remarry … . Thus it is that husbands and wives, their former partners, children and stepchildren, and a whole constellation of grandparents and other relatives are brought together in the new American extended family. Michael Norman
During his five years at Owen High, he turned his teams into an extended family and tried to instill in his players the same sense of self-worth that Baldwin had imparted to him years before. William Nack

Examples of extended family in a Sentence

their extended family includes a grandmother and widowed aunt
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Prince Harry also wants his children to connect with their U.K. roots, to experience their heritage and to build relationships with their extended family. Simon Perry, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025 Martindale is survived by his wife Sandra, sister Geraldine, his daughters Lisa, Lyn and Laura and a large extended family full of grandchildren and great grandchildren, his honorary son Eric and his beloved Chihuahua, Dude. David Daniel, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025 In the coming days, the father and daughter and their extended family will go through the grieving process all over again. Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025 Is there anyone in your extended family who could teach you a craft of some kind? What crafting traditions are a part of your ethnic, regional or religious heritage? Katherine Schulten, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for extended family

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of extended family was circa 1935

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extended family.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extended%20family. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

extended family

noun
: a family that includes parents and children and other relatives (as grandparents, aunts, or uncles) in the same household

Medical Definition

extended family

noun
: a family that includes in one household near relatives in addition to a nuclear family

More from Merriam-Webster on extended family

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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