famil-

A name shared in common with all of the members of a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children; which is distinguished from each member's given or first name: The official medical form which was to be completed asked for all of the family names or surnames; as well as, each member's given name.

A program which is set up to regulate the number of children in a social unit through the practice of contraception or other methods of birth control: Susan and Greg, who were about to be married, talked with Dr. Lawson about family planning because, since they were unemployed, they didn't want to have children immediately.

1. A genealogical diagram of the ancestry of a related set of individuals: Harriet's cousin is very interested in creating a family tree to identify all her family ancestors.
2. The antecedents and descendants of a unit of related people: The family tree, or genealogical tree, identified all of the related ancestors going back about six generations.

A condition in which a woman is pregnant: Anna's brother told her that his wife is in a family way.

Permission to be absent from one's work to care for a member that is usually living with parents and their offspring: The family-care leave is a period when an employee is allowed to care for a family member who is pregnant, ill, disabled, or incapacitated.

That which occurs within a closely related unit of individuals; usually, consisting of one or two parents and their kids: When he first met his uncle and his wife, Manual was immediately aware of the long standing interfamilial conflict.

1. A woman described in her role as head of a household, tribe, or as the mother of her children: As materfamilias, Mary was able to influence the decisions of the entire family.

According to tribal custom, the materfamilias gave the final decision whether to move the camp or not.

Shirley was a wonderful materfamilias of the family and all the children loved her.

As materfamilias, Margaret strived to provide her children with a healthy life and a moral upbringing.
2. Etymology: from Latin for "mother of the household". The term consists of mater, "mother" + familias, which comes from familia, "household"; from famulus, "servant, slave".

1. The male head of a household: The ancient law required that only the paterfamilias could sign the deed to the property.
2. In Roman Law, the head of a household having the authority belonging to that position: After he reached the legal age of the time, the youth was able to claim the authority of paterfamilias because he was old enough to be head of his family since his father had recently died.
3. Etymology: from Latin, literally, "master of a house, head of a family"; from pater, "father" + familias, "family".

A mother or a father who lives together in a household with his or her offspring: A single-parent family consists of only one of the parents who is living with a child or children.

1. A reference to things that a person has no knowledge of or no experience with: Karen gets nervous when she is given medical assignments that she is unfamiliar with as a recent student.
2. Not frequently seen, heard, nor experienced: Fred complained that the book is just too full of unfamiliar words.
3. Etymology: from un-, "not" + familiar, "intimate, very friendly, on a family footing"; from Old French famelier, from Latin familiaris, "domestic, of a household"; also "familiar, intimate, friendly", dissimilated from familialis, from familia, "family servants, domestics"; also, "members of a household", including relatives and servants, from famulus, "servant" of unknown origin.

Not having any knowledge about something or somebody: Gisela's unfamiliarity with the language made her writing assignment in Greece an extraordinary challenge.