Family

Word

Definition

Example

family

a group of people who are related to each other

Mohit was very nervous when he met his girlfriend's family for the first time

immediate family

your closest relations, such as your parents, children, husband or wife

My immediate family are my dad, mum and two sisters.

nuclear family

parents and their children

The average nuclear family in the US is made up of parents and two children

extended family

a family unit that includes grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles, etc. in addition to parents and children

I have a large extended family with many nieces, nephews and cousins

dysfunctional family

a family that is not behaving or working normally, where there is conflict, misbehaviour, etc.

Cynthia came from a dysfunctional family and could often be seen wandering the street on her own when she was young.

family member

someone who belongs to a specific family

I have family members living all over the world.

to be related to

to belong to the same family as

I'm related to many people in my village as my family has lived here for generations.

a relative

someone who is part of your family

We are going to visit relatives who live on the coast for our holiday this year

blood relative

someone you are related to through birth rather than marriage

Aunty Sylvia is my blood relative but Uncle George, her husband, is only related to me by marriage

distant relative

generally, a relative who is a third cousin or greater, or a great aunt or uncle, especially when you have little or no involvement with him or her.

A member of my family died last week but they were a distant relative and I didn't know them very well.

next of kin

the person or group of people you are most closely related to

When you apply for a passport, you have to name your next of kin in case there is an emergency while you are away travelling.

descendants

a person who is related to you and who lives after you, such as your child or grandchild, and all future generations

I want my descendants to remember me as a kind and humane person.

ancestors

family members from past generations

I'm writing my autobiography so that my descendants will know what life was like for one of their ancestors.

household

all the people who live in one house

There are now only three people in my household as my older brother has gone away to university.

father

a man in relation to his child or children

Keanu is a father to three children.

mother

a woman in relation to her child or children

Her mother told her to be home early.

parent

a person's father or mother

I'm glad that my parents live close by as it's easy to visit them.

husband

the male partner in a marriage; a married man

Laura's husband works as a real estate agent.

wife

the female partner in a marriage; a married woman

Flint met his wife in a concert.

spouse

a husband or wife

His spouse lost her wedding ring in a boat.

son

a person's boy child

Takumi is the governor's son.

daughter

a person's girl child

He will be picking up his daughter from school later today.

brother

a male who has the same parents as another person

My brother and I share a bathroom and it is disgusting.

sister

a female who has the same parents as another person

I am moving in with my sister in Austria next month.

big brother / older brother (or sister)

older than you

Anika's older brother used to be the captain of the football team.

little sister / younger sister (or brother)

younger than you

Federico takes special care of his little sister when they are in public places.

sibling

a brother or sister

I have three siblings, two brothers and a sister.

twin

either of two children born to the same mother on the same occasion

My sister has just given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

identical twins

twins who look exactly the same

I have an identical twin brother and even our parents find it difficult to tell us apart.

an only child

a child who doesn't have any brothers or sisters

It can be lonely being an only child as you don't have siblings to play with.

uncle

the brother of your mother or father

My uncle never got his college diploma, but my mother did.

aunt

the sister of your mother or father

Ceceu visited his aunt last Saturday in the countryside.

nephew

the male child of your brother or sister

My nephew likes sleeping over because I let him eat cookies for dinner.

niece

the female child of your brother or sister

Anastasia's niece is a lot prettier than her own daughter.

cousin

a child of your uncle or aunt

Joao goes to the same school as his cousin.

grandparents

the parents of your parents

Jesus lives with his grandparents because his mother lives elsewhere.

grandfather

the father of your mother or father

My grandfather is a musician, so he always sets the mood at family dinners.

grandmother

the mother of your father or mother

If mom won't allow it, call your grandmother.

grandchildren

the children of your children

I am one in seventeen grandchildren, but I am sure I'm the favorite one.

grandson

the son of your son or daughter

Paco's grandson is getting married in a few weeks.

granddaughter

the daughter of your son or daughter

Our granddaughter is studying pre-med to become a surgeon.

in-laws

the relatives of your husband or wife

When we were first married, we couldn't afford a place of our own so lived with the in-laws.

mother in-law

mother of your spouse

Many people don't get on with their mother-in-law but mine is really nice.

father in-law

father of your spouse

My father-in-law offered me a job in the family business so he is also my boss.

son-in-law

the husband of your daughter

I didn't like Amir when I first met him but he's a great son-in-law and helps me out whenever I need it.

daughter-in-law

the wife of your son

We are very happy that our son has decided to marry Zehra and look forward to her becoming our daughter-in-law.

brother-in-law

the husband of your sister

My brother-in-law is lazy and not a very good husband to my sister.

sister-in-law

the wife of your brother

I often help my sister-in-law to look after my baby niece.

step

in the context of family relationships, 'step' means that you are related to the person because of one of your parents marries one of their parents

Alex gets along with his step family better than he does with his own.

stepmother

the wife of your father, but not your biological mother

Snowwhite's stepmother tried to poison her with an apple.

stepfather

the husband of your mother, but not your biological father

Anna's stepfather is the one who pays for her college tuition.

stepson

the son of your new wife or husband, but not your biological son

When Miguel got married, he didn't only gain a wife, but a stepson.

stepdaughter

the daughter of your new wife or husband, but not your biological daughter

Her stepdaughter feels overshadowed by the other siblings.

stepsister

the daughter of your stepmother or stepfather

Marly doesn't really like having a stepsister.

stepbrother

the son of your stepmother or stepfather

My stepbrother introduced me to all his popular friends back in high school.

half-brother

a brother you have only one parent in common with

Her half-brother lives in Brazil with his mother.

half-sister

a sister you have only one parent in common with

Bianca's half-sister doesn't really resemble her.

motherhood

the state of being a mother

I'd like to have children one day but I'm not ready for motherhood yet.

fatherhood

the state of being a father

Sakda is taking the responsibilities of fatherhood seriously and now only goes out drinking with his friends once a month.

to start a family

to have children

Billy and I are planning to start a family as soon as we get married.

to give birth

to have a baby

It was a special moment in Cesar's life when he saw his wife giving birth to their first child.

offspring

a person's child or children

My two sisters are coming over later with their offspring so the house is going to be very noisy.

family man

a man who enjoys being at home with his wife and children

Deepak used to love partying but now that he has kids he's become a real family man.

family life

the kind of life a person normally leads when they are married and have children

My husband and I enjoy doing lots of activities with our children and we all have a great family life

to raise (a child)

to take care of a child until they become an adult

It's a big responsibility raising children but I love being a parent.

to bring up (a child)

to raise a child

When Jae-min's husband died, she was left to bring up the children on her own

upbringing

the way in which you are treated and educated when young, especially by your parents

I was fortunate to have a good upbringing but not all children have caring parents who look after them well and teach them the right way to behave.

to support (a family)

to have enough money to be able to look after a family

Egor earned very low wages and had to work two jobs to support his family.

breadwinner

the member of a family who earns most of the money that the family needs

In many countries, men are expected to be the breadwinner in a family.

dependant

someone who depends on you for financial support, such as a child or family member who does not work

I'm working hard to get a promotion and earn more money now that I'm a husband and a father and have dependants who rely on me

to adopt

to legally take another person's child into your own family and take care of them as your own child

Paul and Siri were unable to have children of their own and decided to adopt a baby.

to foster

to take care of someone else's child, usually for a limited time, without becoming the child's legal parent

Even though I'm an only child, I always had other boy's and girl's to play with when I was growing up as mum and dad often used to foster other children

over-protective parents

a parent who protect their child too much

Overprotective parents can prevent their children from building confidence and independence.

spoilt child

a child who shows bad behaviour because they have been allowed to do or have anything they want

I don't like playing with the girl next door because she's a spoilt child and gets in a temper if I don't let her win all the games.

single parent

a person bringing up a child or children without a partner

My sister is a single parent now that her husband has left her.

stay at home parent / stay at home mum

a parent who stays at home to take care of their children rather than going out to work

These days, it's far more usual for men to be a stay-at-home parent than when I was young when it was always the mother who looked after the kids.

to look after

to take care of

I'm going to look after my daughter's children on Saturday while she has a day out with her friends.

childcare

the care of children, especially by a crèche, nursery or childminder while parents are working

Childcare is a big problem for many working parents and they are lucky if their own parents can help out.

strict

strongly limiting someone's freedom to behave as they wish, or likely to severely punish someone if they do not obey

My parents are very strict with me and I have to finish all my homework before I'm allowed to play or watch TV.

authoritarian

demanding that people obey completely and refusing to allow them the freedom to act as they wish

My father was very authoritarian when I was growing up and I was terrified of him.

generation

all the people of about the same age within a society or within a particular family

It's hard to believe how much everyday life has changed for my grandparent's generation.

older generation

people of middle-age and older

The older generation are often stuck in their ways.

younger generation

young adults, teenagers and children

Meanwhile, the younger generation welcomes change.

generation gap

a difference of opinions between one generation and another regarding beliefs and attitudes, often leading to a lack of understanding between them

It's a skilled politician who can bridge the generation gap.

teenager

a person aged between 13 and 19 years

My lovely little boy turned into a rebellious monster when he was a teenager but now he's a lovely young man.

adolescent

a young person who is developing into an adult

Many adolescents develop emotional problems as they try to find their place in the world.

sibling rivalry

the feeling of competitiveness that often exists between brothers and sisters

There was huge sibling rivalry between my two brothers and they were always fighting but they are the best of friends now that they're adults.

run in the family

a common feature in a family; something which is passed from parents to children

Artistic ability seems to run in the family.

hereditary

passed from the genes of a parent to a child

Diabetes is hereditary in our family so I make sure that I eat healthily and keep fit to lessen my chances of getting it.

childhood

the time when someone is a child

Many children in the world do not have a happy childhood.

family background

the details of a person's family regarding education, social status, etc.

We want our son to marry a girl from a good family background.

family gathering / family get-together

an informal event where family members meet up

We're having a family get-together to celebrate my mother's birthday.

close-knit

involving groups of people in which everyone supports each other

We're a close-knit family and know that we can rely on each other when one of us needs help

family ties

the sense of connection between family members

Family ties aren't as strong as they used to be in my country because relatives often live many miles apart and even in different countries.

to care for

to provide the things someone needs, especially someone who is young, old, or ill

In my country, sons and daughters are expected to care for their elderly parents

a widow

a woman whose husband has died

Her husband died young and she has been a widow for almost thirty years now

a widower

a man whose wife has died

My mother died last year so my father is now a widower

to desert

to leave someone without help or in a difficult situation and not come back

My father deserted us when I was young and my mother has brought me up on her own.

get on with / get along with

to like someone and have a friendly relationship with them

I used to fight with my siblings when we were young but I get on with them really well now that we're adults.

to fall out with / to have a falling out

to have a disagreement which ruins a relationship with that person

I fell out with my sister when she started dating my boyfriend.

on speaking terms

friendly enough to talk

My parents had a big argument and are not on speaking terms at the moment.

to look alike

to look very similar to someone else

My twin sister and I look alike and people often call us by each other's names.

to take after (someone)

to be very similar to an older family member

Mila was excellent at drawing. She took after her mother who was a famous artist.

a chip off the old block

the person is very similar (in character and personality) to one of their parents

Sanjay is always cracking jokes, just like his father. He's a real chip off the old block.

to follow in someone's footsteps

to do the same thing as someone else did previously, especially someone in your family

I want to follow in my father's footsteps and become a doctor like he is.

spitting image

to look extremely similar to someone

Cher is the spitting image of her mother

wear the trousers

to be the person in a family who holds the authority and makes decisions

My dad likes to thinks that he's in charge but it's my mother who wears the trousers in our house.

black sheep (of the family)

someone who brings shame to their family by being different or doing something wrong

My brother first started getting into trouble with the police when he was a teenager and he's become the black sheep of the family.