1
a
: a Celtic group especially in the Scottish Highlands comprising a number of households whose heads claim descent from a common ancestor
the MacDonald clan
b
: a group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor : family
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.
2
: a group united by a common interest or common characteristics
the country club clan
Examples of clan in a Sentence
The tribe is divided into clans.
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.
Recent Examples on the Web
Now estranged from his loud-mouthed clan, happily partnered and with a similarly neurotic daughter, Malcolm is forced to enter the fore amid Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois’ (Jane Kaczmarek) 40th wedding anniversary celebration.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
The rest of the Grimaldi clan were dressed in black, with the female family members covering their hair with a mantilla.
—Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 28 Mar. 2026
Each story arc, or part, would follow a different descendant of the extended Joestar clan, on their own heroic (and occasionally anti-heroic journey).
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
In the final scenes, audiences watch as the Kennedy clan learns of yet another young death in their family.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
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Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
The rest of the Grimaldi clan were dressed in black, with the female family members covering their hair with a mantilla.
—Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 28 Mar. 2026
Each story arc, or part, would follow a different descendant of the extended Joestar clan, on their own heroic (and occasionally anti-heroic journey).
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
In the final scenes, audiences watch as the Kennedy clan learns of yet another young death in their family.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
Cite this Entry
“Clan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clan. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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