FAMILY


Meaning of FAMILY in English

noun

1 group of people related to each other

ADJECTIVE

▪ big , large

▪ entire , whole

a summer movie for the whole ~

▪ close , close-knit

We are a very close-knit ~ and support each other through any crises.

▪ happy , loving , supportive

▪ dysfunctional

The movie is a portrait of a dysfunctional ~.

▪ nuclear , traditional

the nuclear ~ of parents and children

▪ average

▪ immediate

We've only told the immediate ~ (= the closest relations) .

▪ extended

It was difficult to maintain contact with members of his extended ~.

▪ lone-parent ( BrE ), one-parent , single-parent

the difficulties faced by one-parent families

▪ two-parent

▪ adoptive

They help find emotionally damaged children placements with adoptive families.

▪ real

▪ patriarchal

▪ military

She grew up in a military ~.

▪ working

▪ middle-class , working-class , etc.

▪ low-income , middle-income

▪ old

▪ aristocratic , imperial , noble , royal

▪ powerful , prominent

▪ affluent , landowning , rich , wealthy , well-to-do

▪ poor

tax incentives for low-income families

▪ homeless

▪ bereaved

a helpline set up to counsel bereaved families

▪ human

the rights of all members of the human ~

VERB + FAMILY

▪ belong to , be one of , be part of , come from

He belonged to an aristocratic ~.

We all knew her so well that we felt she was almost part of the ~.

Many of our students come from poor families.

▪ marry into

She married into a wealthy ~.

▪ run in

a medical condition which runs in the ~

▪ be in

This painting has been in our ~ for generations.

FAMILY + NOUN

▪ background , history

Do you know anything about her ~ background?

a ~ history of heart disease

▪ tradition

In 1941 he carried on the ~ tradition and enlisted in the army.

▪ connections , relationships , ties

They prefer to stay in their home country because of ~ ties.

▪ group , member

▪ friend

▪ life

▪ business

▪ home

▪ commitments

The job wouldn't really fit in with my ~ commitments.

▪ income

▪ doctor ( esp. BrE ), physician ( AmE )

▪ holiday ( BrE ), vacation ( AmE )

▪ feud

▪ heirloom

▪ motto

▪ name (= surname)

▪ planning

PREPOSITION

▪ in a/the ~

These problems occur in all families.

▪ within a/the ~

issues which create conflict within the ~

PHRASES

▪ ~ and friends

The support of ~ and friends is vital.

▪ a member of a ~

2 children

ADJECTIVE

▪ large , small

▪ young

parents with young families

VERB + FAMILY

▪ have

I always wanted to have a large ~.

▪ start

They got married last year and plan to start a ~ (= have children) soon.

▪ bring up , raise

It's a struggle to bring up a ~ on a low income.

▪ feed , support

It is difficult for them to earn enough to feed their families.

FAMILY + NOUN

▪ size

Average ~ size has decreased since the 19th century.

▪ man

a good ~ man, completely devoted to his wife and kids

Oxford Collocations English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь словосочетаний .