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.
That Christmas morning, one member of the extended family skipped the festivities to give a tennis lesson. Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025 We were escorted a block away to the 7th Precinct homicide unit, where we were questioned for about an hour before going home to deliver the terrible news to my siblings and extended family. Gordon Garland, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 Her extended family also became a treasure trove of memories to fashion into the film. Gregory Ellwood, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025 This process blesses the host’s entire extended family, as only the destitute beggar who is without family has the power to protect them from separation or spiritual misfortune. Nyya Toussaint / Made By History, TIME, 31 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near extended family

Cite this Entry

“Extended family.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extended%20family. Accessed 27 Jan. 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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