family

I. noun (plural -lies) Etymology: Middle English familie, from Latin familia household (including servants as well as kin of the householder), from famulus servant Date: 15th century 1. a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head ; household 2. a. a group of persons of common ancestry ; clan b. a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock ; race 3. a. a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation ; fellowship b. the staff of a high official (as the President) 4. a group of things related by common characteristics: as a. a closely related series of elements or chemical compounds b. a group of soils with similar chemical and physical properties (as texture, pH, and mineral content) that comprise a category ranking above the series and below the subgroup in soil classification c. a group of related languages descended from a single ancestral language 5. a. the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children; also any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family <

a single-parent family

> b. spouse and children <

want to spend more time with my family

> 6. a. a group of related plants or animals forming a category ranking above a genus and below an order and usually comprising several to many genera b. in livestock breeding (1) the descendants or line of a particular individual especially of some outstanding female (2) an identifiable strain within a breed 7. a set of curves or surfaces whose equations differ only in parameters 8. a unit of a crime syndicate (as the Mafia) operating within a geographical area • familyhood noun II. adjective Date: 1602 1. of or relating to a family 2. designed or suitable for both children and adults <

family restaurants

> <

family movies

>