ENGLISH
REFERENCE

family member

compound.
A1 Beginner Oxford

compound. A person who is part of your family, such as a parent, brother, sister, or cousin.

compound. A person related to another by kinship, either through blood (consanguinity) or through marriage or adoption (affinity).


SIMPLE

My aunt is a close family member.

CONTEXTUAL

You must list a family member as your emergency contact on the hospital form.

COMPLEX

The will stipulated that the estate be divided equally among all surviving family members, regardless of their degree of relation.

Usage

This is a countable noun; the plural is 'family members'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'relative', a near-synonym that can sound slightly more formal or distant. 'Family member' is common in both everyday speech and official contexts.

Pitfall

He is my family.He is a family member.'Family' refers to the whole group, while 'family member' refers to one person within that group.

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