famil-

A common group of people including children from previous and current relationships: The parents in blended families often refer to their children as "yours", "mine", and "ours".

Outside or beyond a family or its control: Although Greg was in debt, he was embarrassed to ask his immediate relatives for assistance so he turned to his extrafamilial resources of friends for assistance.

1. Tending to occur among members of a unit of people who live together and are related to one another by heredity, usually consisting of parents and children: It was a strong familial trait of Sam's wife and children to have blue eyes and black hair.
2. Relating to, involving, or having the characteristics of parents and offspring: They rarely attended family weddings or funerals because familial relationships were not important to them.
3. Appearing in some individuals by heredity: According to the Dr. Jones, the familial heart condition skipped the mother's generation, but her son Tim is at risk.

1. Well known, commonly seen or heard, and easily recognized: The familiar routines were reassuring to the man who had been injured in a bad car accident.
2. Having a thorough knowledge and a good understanding of something: Sharon is familiar with the list of words that the teacher presented in class.
3. Being friendly or characteristic of a close personal relationship with someone: Janice and Sherry had a familiar relationship and often spent the weekends together.
4. Well-known, or easily recognized by another person or people: The band was playing a familiar tune that everyone could sing.
5. Etymology: "intimate, very friendly, on a family footing", from Old French famelier, from Latin familia, familiaris, "family servants, domestics"; also "domestic members of a household", including relatives and servants, from famulus, "servant".

1. Having considerable acquaintance with someone or somebody: The degree of familiarity between Susan and Sally made communication very easy.
2. An established friendship, intimacy, or a closeness and friendliness in a personal alliance: The degree of familiarity demonstrated by the staff made it much more pleasant for visitors to use the facilities.
3. The quality or condition of knowing about something very well; such as, having a thorough knowledge and understanding of a subject, situation, condition, etc.: Henry has a familiarity with database systems which can have job opportunities for him.
4. A characteristic of being well-recognized: The new house had a strange familiarity about it as if Jack had been there before.

1. To make someone or something known or recognized: Fred wanted to familiarize himself with what would be expected of him before he started the new job.
2. To make acquainted with, to acquire, or to provide someone with information or experience which is necessary for understanding or doing something: The group of tourists were told to familiarize themselves with the facilities of the new hotel; especially, to be familiarized with the emergency procedures in case of a fire.

Being well-known from a long or a close association or connection: Uncle Jim, as he was familiarly known even by those who were not members of his family, was one of the most respected workers in the small factory.

1. A unit of people who live together, who function as a single household and who are related to one another; usually, consisting of parents and offspring: The family all lived on the farm by the river where they all worked together.
2. A body of people who are closely related by birth, marriage, or adoption: The large family included aunts, uncles and several adopted cousins.
3. All of the folk (living and dead) who are descended from a common ancestor: Shirley comes from a very famous family which included a sea captain.
4. An association whose members are related in origin, characteristics, or occupation to each other: The family of traveling repairmen who mended broken things were well-known for the high quality of their workmanship.
5. Related languages or a set of languages that have a common origin: Interestingly enough, Estonian and Hungarian belong to the same language family.
6. Something that is used, owned, or employed by a closely related party, or that which is suitable for such a group: All of Ted's children and his wife got into the family car for the trip to town.

A Bible with special pages to record births, deaths, and marriages of a closely related unit of kin: The Family Bible was passed from generation to generation which revealed information for current and future members of the family about their ancestors.

A physician whose medical training is to provide comprehensive medical care for parents and their offspring: The family doctor is a general physician who has been trained to treat illnesses of all of the members of a family; including the very young and the adults.

A term for health care provided by some physicians in financially disadvantaged regions in the U.S.; such as, inner cities, in which a patient is told to bring his entire family along for a check-up or other medical evaluations on a return visit, even when there is no indication that there is an illness: Family ganging is an unethical health-care practice in which a doctor requires, or encourages, a patient to return to a publicly paid health system with other children of the family so the health program can charge for care given to all family members.

An informal social gathering of people who are related by blood or through marriage: A big family get-together was planned for the summer holidays to celebrate several birthdays.

A policy that permits workers to have a certain amount of paid time off from their jobs so they can take care of someone with whom they are living: Family leaves are stipulated in many countries around the world so the working adult can be home to provide for family emergencies, the birth or adoption of a child, or taking care of a sick parent or spouse.

A father who enjoys home life and who devotes a great deal of time with his wife and children: Jeff was a family man who always hurried home after work to spend as much time as possible with his son and daughter before they went to bed.

Despite the fact that Doug, the manager, worked late hours at the factory, he was at heart a family man who enjoyed being with his wife and three kids; especially, on weekends and whenever he had any time off from his job.

A branch of medicine that provides comprehensive health care to people regardless of age or sex, while placing particular emphasis on the members of a closely knit group; usually, including a mother, a father, and children: When Dr. McDonald's daughter June finished her medical studies, she decided that she wanted to practice family medicine with her father at his clinic.