■ noun ( plural families )
1》 [treated as sing. or plural ] a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit.
↘a group of people related by blood or marriage.
↘the children of a person or couple.
2》 all the descendants of a common ancestor.
3》 a group of related things.
↘ Biology a principal taxonomic category ranking above genus and below order.
↘all the languages ultimately derived from a particular early language, regarded as a group.
■ adjective suitable for children as well as adults.
Phrases
in the ~ way informal pregnant.
Derivatives
familial fə'mɪljəl adjective
Origin
ME: from L. familia 'household servants, ~', from famulus 'servant'.