- (v.t.) A group of organisms, either animal or vegetable, related by certain points of resemblance in structure or development, more comprehensive than a genus, because it is usually based on fewer or less pronounced points of likeness. In zoology a family is less comprehesive than an order; in botany it is often considered the same thing as an order.
- (v.t.) Those who descend from one common progenitor; a tribe, clan or race; kindred; house; as, the human family; the family of Abraham; the father of a family.
- (v.t.) The group comprising a husband and wife and their dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the organization of society.
- (v.t.) Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man of family.
- (v.t.) A group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family.
- (v.t.) Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage.
- (v.t.) The collective body of persons who live in one house, and under one head or manager; a household, including parents, children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers or boarders.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). family. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/family/definitions/2006890 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "family" http://smartdefine.org/family/definitions/2006890 (accessed September 30, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, family, Smart Define, viewed 30 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/family/definitions/2006890>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "family" 27 May 2011. Web. 30 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/family/definitions/2006890> |