clan
n. countablen. a large group of families who are related to each other. It can also describe a close group of people who share the same interests.
n. a group of families or households linked by a common ancestor or kinship ties. Often used more broadly to describe a large, close-knit group with shared interests or a common identity.
The entire clan gathered for a huge dinner.
In the Scottish Highlands, each clan traditionally wore a specific tartan pattern to show their family identity.
The political landscape was dominated by a few powerful clans whose influence stretched back several generations through strategic marriages and land ownership.
Borrowed from Irish clann (“offspring, children of the family”) and Scottish Gaelic clann, both from Old Irish cland, borrowed from Old Welsh plant, itself borrowed from Latin planta (“shoot, offspring”). Doublet of plant and planta.
Commonly used in anthropological contexts to describe tribal structures, but also functions as a collective noun for large families in informal speech.