clan

noun

ˈklan 

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

Synonyms

• body
• bunch
• circle
• clique
• community
• coterie
• coven
• crowd
• fold
• galère
• gang
• klatch
• klatsch
• lot
• network
• pack
• ring
• set

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

However, the Kennedy clan is not without its tragedies and many scandals, which have spanned generations. —Nicole Briese, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025

In some ways, Ms. Kennedy and her cousin Robert come from two very different branches of the famous clan: Ms. Kennedy’s mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, sought privacy and discretion. —Adam Nagourney, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2025

Mazen al-Hamada was born in 1977 into a large and influential clan. —Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

However, Nawi’s father remains entrenched in tribal traditions, swayed by the counsel of uncles, stepbrothers, and the elders of the clan. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Scottish Gaelic clann offspring, clan, from Old Irish cland plant, offspring, from Latin planta plant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing clan

• inter-clan
• sub-clan

Kids Definition

clan

noun

ˈklan 

1

a

: a group (as in the Scottish Highlands) made up of households whose heads claim to have a common ancestor

b

: a group of people having a common ancestor : family

2

: a group of persons united by a common interest

the whole clan of actors