Unit 11 The family and society

Word

Definition

Example

nuclear family

A family group consisting of a pair of adults and their children

Religion and the nuclear family went hand in hand

extended family

A family group that consists of parents, children, and other relatives, often living in close proximity

Everybody here is like an extended family

parents

A father or mother

My parents are very supportive of my decisions

grandparents

A parent's father or mother

I love spending time with my grandparents

siblings

Each of two or more children or offspring having one or both parents in common; a brother or sister

He has two younger siblings, a brother and a sister

family tree

A diagram showing the relationships between people in several generations of a family

She researched her family tree and found some surprises

widow

A woman who has lost her spouse by death and has not remarried

After her husband passed, she became a widow

widower

A man who has lost his spouse by death and has not remarried

He never remarried after becoming a widower

relatives

A person connected by blood or marriage

We invited all our relatives to the reunion

ancestor

A person, typically one more remote than a grandparent, from whom one is descended

They traced their ancestors back several centuries

niece

A daughter of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law

His niece is the apple of his eye

nephew

A son of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law

My nephew is an energetic and playful little boy

household

A house and its occupants regarded as a unit

We run a tight ship in our busy household

an only child

A child who has no siblings

As an only child, he was used to solitude

generation

All of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively

They spanned four generations in that photograph

trace to

Find or discover by investigation

His lineage can be traced to a royal family

kinship

Blood relationship

The bond between them revealed a strong kinship

raise a child

Bring up a child with care and affection

They worked hard to raise their children well

bring up

Care for and educate a child

She did her best to bring up her children right

calamity

An event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster

The earthquake brought a calamity to the region

forced to

Compelled by force or necessity

She was forced to leave her home due to the flood

responsible for

Being the person or thing to blame for something

He felt responsible for his younger siblings

upbringing

The treatment and instruction one receives during childhood

His upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic

possessiveness

The state of desiring to own or dominate

Her possessiveness often drove people away

adolescence

The period following the onset of puberty during which a young person develops from a child into an adult

He struggled with his identity during adolescence

adulthood

The stage of life when a person is fully developed and physically mature

Adulthood brought a new set of responsibilities

take precedence

Be considered more important or be dealt with as a priority

Her studies take precedence over everything else

waged employment

Employment in which a worker receives a regular wage or salary

He finally found waged employment after months of searching

seniority

A privileged status attained by reason of longer service or higher rank

She earned the position due to her seniority in the company

wisdom

The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment

Her grandmother's wisdom guided her through tough times

senior citizen

An elderly person, especially one who is retired and living on a pension

The center offers various activities for senior citizens

sincere

Free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings

His sincere apology helped to mend the relationship

engage in

Participate or become involved in

They like to engage in outdoor activities every weekend

procreation

The production of offspring

The purpose of marriage was considered to be procreation

set a good example

Behave in a way that others should follow or imitate

He always tried to set a good example for his siblings

reinforce

Strengthen or support (an object or substance), especially with additional material

The workshop aims to reinforce essential skills

cohesion

The action or fact of forming a united whole

Team cohesion was crucial for their success

endeavour

Try hard to do or achieve something

They made a collective endeavour to finish the project

misfortune

Bad luck

She had endured a lot of misfortune in her life

membership

The fact of being a member of a group

Club membership has its own privileges

partnership

The state of being a partner or partners

Their partnership led to the success of the business

leadership

The action of leading a group of people or an organization

His natural leadership skills made him the captain

apprenticeship

A system of training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study

He completed his apprenticeship and became a master

craftsmanship

Skill in a particular craft

The craftsmanship of that sculpture was exceptional

musicianship

Skill or ability in or as a musician

Her musicianship was evident in every note she played

childhood

The state or period of being a child

He had a happy childhood filled with laughter

boyhood

The state or period of being a boy

His boyhood memories were filled with adventures

neighbourhood

A district or community within a town or city

Our friendly neighbourhood always felt like home

brotherhood

The relationship between brothers

The bond between them was more than just brotherhood

close relationship

An intimate or strong emotional or personal connection

They shared a close relationship since childhood

cultivate a relationship

Foster and develop a relationship

It's important to cultivate a healthy relationship

face hardship

Confront and deal with difficulties or unpleasant situations

Despite facing hardship, she never gave up

long-lasting

Enduring or persisting for a long time

Their friendship was long-lasting and unbreakable

nationhood

The state or quality of being a nation

The celebration marked the anniversary of nationhood

network of relationship

A complex, interconnected system of relationships

He had a vast network of relationships across the country

offspring

A person's child or children

Parents with the disease are likely to pass it on to their offspring

socialization

The process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society

Early socialization is essential for a child's development

take precedence over

Be considered more important than

Family should always take precedence over work

withdraw

Remove or take away (something) from a particular place or position

He decided to withdraw from the project due to conflicts

otherwise

In circumstances different from those present or considered; or else

He would have succeeded, otherwise, the circumstances were against him

take up

Begin to study, practice, or do (a hobby or activity)

He decided to take up painting as a hobby