nuclear family
3 synonyms and 1 antonym for nuclear family, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A household made up of two parents and their dependent children, living apart from grandparents and other relatives.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
immediate family
conjugal family
elementary family
Antonyms
extended family
How to use nuclear family
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
traditional nuclear family
the decline of the nuclear family
nuclear family household
Standard in sociology and journalism. It can carry a mildly conservative or nostalgic tone in political writing.
Etymology
From nuclear in its original sense of "forming a nucleus or core", from Latin nucleus "kernel" — the core unit of kin. It has nothing to do with nuclear energy, which draws on the same root by way of the atomic nucleus.
Full origin of nuclear family →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family?
A nuclear family is just parents and their children under one roof. An extended family adds other relatives — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins — either living together or functioning as one close household unit.
Is a single parent with children a nuclear family?
Strictly, no: sociologists usually class that as a single-parent or lone-parent family, since the classic definition requires two parents. Some modern writers stretch the term to any parents-and-children unit, so the sense should be checked in academic use.
Why is it called nuclear?
Because nucleus means kernel or core: it is the core unit of a family, everything else being additional. The word predates the atomic sense of nuclear and carries no connection to it.
