nuclear family

noun

: a family group that consists only of parents and children

Examples of nuclear family in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It’s populated largely by white people, most of whom are grouped off into tidy nuclear families. Dan Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024 My boarding zone got called and this nuclear family that was clearly doing a big trip together closed ranks. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2024 Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left (1972) depicted a teenager’s rape and murder, and the destruction of the nuclear family, echoing the more sensational, less sanitized newscasts that became the norm. Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024 Under the protocol signed between Italy and Albania last year, those sent to Albania must not show signs of torture, illness or vulnerability or be part of nuclear families traveling together. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nuclear family 

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nuclear family was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near nuclear family

Cite this Entry

“Nuclear family.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuclear%20family. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nuclear family

noun
: a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children

Medical Definition

nuclear family

noun
: a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children see extended family

More from Merriam-Webster on nuclear family

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!