n.

1. a social unit living together;
   household, house, home, menage
   
   • he moved his family to Virginia
   • It was a good Christian household
   • I waited until the whole house was asleep
   • the teacher asked how many people made up his home
2. primary social group; parents and children;
   family unit
   
   • he wanted to have a good job before starting a family
3. people descended from a common ancestor;
   family line, folk, kinfolk, kinsfolk, sept, phratry
   
   • his family has lived in Massachusetts since the Mayflower
4. a collection of things sharing a common attribute;
   class, category
   
   • there are two classes of detergents
5. an association of people who share common beliefs or activities;
   fellowship
   
   • the message was addressed not just to employees but to every member of the company family
   • the church welcomed new members into its fellowship
6. (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera
   
   • sharks belong to the fish family
7. a person having kinship with another or others;
   kin, kinsperson
   
   • he's kin
   • he's family
8. a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized criminal activities;
   syndicate, crime syndicate, mob