Definition

Noun: - A family group that includes not only parents and children (the nuclear family) but also other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who often live nearby or are closely involved in each other's lives.

Usage

The term "extended family" is used to describe a broader family network. It emphasizes the inclusion of kin beyond the immediate household. It is often contrasted with the concept of a "nuclear family."

Examples

• In many cultures, the extended family provides crucial support for childcare and eldercare.
• Their holiday gatherings are always large because they invite the entire extended family, including dozens of cousins.
• The concept of an extended family living under one roof is less common in modern urban societies.

Advanced Usage

• Sociological Context: In sociology, the extended family is studied as a social unit that can offer economic and emotional security across generations.
• As a modifier: The term can be used adjectivally before another noun (e.g., extended-family ties, extended-family structure).

Variants and Related Words

• Kinship network: A broader term for the web of family relationships.
• Clan: A larger social unit based on actual or perceived kinship, often larger than an extended family.
• Household: This may or may not include the extended family; it refers to people living together as a unit.

Synonyms

• Kinfolk
• Relatives
• Kith and kin

Antonyms

• Nuclear family (parents and their children only)
• Immediate family (typically parents, siblings, spouse, and children)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To be family-oriented: To prioritize the needs and company of one's family, often including the extended family.
  • He is very family-oriented and visits his extended family every weekend.
• Blood is thicker than water: An idiom suggesting family bonds (often of the extended family) are the strongest.
  • When she needed help, her extended family rallied around her, proving that blood is thicker than water.

Noun

1. a family consisting of the nuclear family and their blood relatives