nuclear family

[ noo-klee-er fam-uh-lee, fam lee, nyoo- ]

noun

1. a social unit composed of two parents and one or more children. Compare extended family ( def 1 ), immediate family ( def ).

nuclear family

noun

1. sociol anthropol a primary social unit consisting of parents and their offspring Compare extended family

nuclear family

1. A type of family made up only of parents and their children. ( Compare extended family .)

Pronunciation Note

See nuclear ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuclear family¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Data show “nontraditional” families — those made up of single parents, single adults, cohabiting couples and stepfamilies — now outnumber “traditional” nuclear families in the United States.

From Los Angeles Times

For people who don’t fit the nuclear family mold or enjoy amicable relationships with their mother or kids, the holiday can bring up all sorts of challenges instead.

From Seattle Times

The cool aunt also provides a critical alternative to the limitations of the nuclear family.

From Los Angeles Times

In the modern age of the nuclear family, the single-parent household is often on its own.

From Seattle Times

The Cunninghams reproduce the ’50s sitcom nuclear family, but they also update it, just a touch, finding a compromise position between the Nelsons and the Bunkers.

From New York Times