nuclear family
Nuclear family (noun) means a household made up of two parents and their dependent children, living apart from grandparents and other relatives. Example: “Post-war housing policy was built around the nuclear family.”
How to use nuclear family
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMum, dad and the kids living together, with no other relatives in the house.
Standard in sociology and journalism. It can carry a mildly conservative or nostalgic tone in political writing.
Pronounce it NOO-klee-er; NOO-kyuh-ler is widely heard but widely criticised.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Post-war housing policy was built around the _____.
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.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for nuclear family
See all rhymes for 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.
What is the meaning of nuclear family?
"nuclear family" (noun) means a household made up of two parents and their dependent children, living apart from grandparents and other relatives.