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View synonyms for

clan

[ klan ]

noun

  1. a group of families or households, as among the Scottish Highlanders, the heads of which claim descent from a common ancestor:

    the Mackenzie clan.

  2. a group of people of common descent; family:

    Our whole clan got together for Thanksgiving.

  3. a group of people, as a clique, set, society, or party, especially as united by some common trait, characteristic, or interest:

    a clan of actors and directors.

  4. Anthropology.
    1. the principal social unit of tribal organization, in which descent is reckoned exclusively in either the paternal or the maternal line.
    2. a group of people regarded as being descended from a common ancestor.


clan

/ æ /

noun

  1. a group of people interrelated by ancestry or marriage
  2. a group of families with a common surname and a common ancestor, acknowledging the same leader, esp among the Scots and the Irish
  3. a group of people united by common characteristics, aims, or interests
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • l adjective
  • t· adjective
  • ܲc noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of clan1

1375–1425; late Middle English ( Scots ) < Scots Gaelic clann < Old Irish cland offspring < Latin planta scion, plant, perhaps directly < British Celtic; compare Welsh plant children
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Word History and Origins

Origin of clan1

C14: from Scottish Gaelic clann family, descendants, from Latin planta sprout, plant 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It is in rural areas that rivalries between Somali clans proliferate.

From

Artefacts recovered from the battlefield in recent years have included lead musket balls and a shoe buckle believed to have belonged to a clan chief.

From

Ye accused the Kardashian clan of exerting control over his children, taking offense at her alleged attempts to stop the release of a song that featured vocals from their daughter, North West.

From

But the Leopold clan sees a new empire of wonder-drug riches by harvesting its curative power, including the unicorn’s purple, iridescent blood and the mysterious properties of its occasionally glowing horn.

From

This popular tourist destination includes a clan museum, café and walled garden.

From

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