Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Family \Fam"i*ly\, n.; pl. {Families}. [L. familia, fr. famulus
   servant; akin to Oscan famel servant, cf. faamat he dwells,
   Skr. dh[=a]man house, fr. dh[=a]to set, make, do: cf. F.
   famille. Cf. {Do}, v. t., {Doom}, {Fact}, {Feat}.]
   1. The collective body of persons who live in one house, and
      under one head or manager; a household, including parents,
      children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers
      or boarders.

   2. The group comprising a husband and wife and their
      dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the
      organization of society.

            The welfare of the family underlies the welfare of
            society.                              --H. Spencer.

   3. Those who descend from one common progenitor; a tribe,
      clan, or race; kindred; house; as, the human family; the
      family of Abraham; the father of a family.

            Go ! and pretend your family is young. --Pope.

   4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage.

   5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man
      of family.

   6. A group of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a
      family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine
      family.

   7. (Biol.) A group of organisms, either animal or vegetable,
      related by certain points of resemblance in structure or
      development, more comprehensive than a genus, because it
      is usually based on fewer or less pronounced points of
      likeness. In zo["o]logy a family is less comprehesive than
      an order; in botany it is often considered the same thing
      as an order.

   {Family circle}. See under {Circle}.

   {Family man}.
      (a) A man who has a family; esp., one who has a wife and
          children living with him andd dependent upon him.
      (b) A man of domestic habits. ``The Jews are generally,
          when married, most exemplary family men.'' --Mayhew.
          

   {Family of} {curves or surfaces} (Geom.), a group of curves
      or surfaces derived from a single equation.

   {In a family way}, like one belonging to the family. ``Why
      don't we ask him and his ladies to come over in a family
      way, and dine with some other plain country gentlefolks?''
      --Thackeray.

   {In the family way}, pregnant. [Colloq.]

Source : WordNet®

family
     n 1: a social unit living together; "he moved his family to
          Virginia"; "It was a good Christian household"; "I
          waited until the whole house was asleep"; "the teacher
          asked how many people made up his home" [syn: {household},
           {house}, {home}, {menage}]
     2: primary social group; parents and children; "he wanted to
        have a good job before starting a family" [syn: {family
        unit}]
     3: people descended from a common ancestor; "his family has
        lived in Massachusetts since the Mayflower" [syn: {family
        line}, {folk}, {kinfolk}, {kinsfolk}, {sept}, {phratry}]
     4: a collection of things sharing a common attribute; "there
        are two classes of detergents" [syn: {class}, {category}]
     5: an association of people who share common beliefs or
        activities; "the message was addressed not just to
        employees but to every member of the company family"; "the
        church welcomed new members into its fellowship" [syn: {fellowship}]
     6: (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more genera;
        "sharks belong to the fish family"
     7: a person having kinship with another or others; "he's kin";
        "he's family" [syn: {kin}, {kinsperson}]
     8: a loose affiliation of gangsters in charge of organized
        criminal activities [syn: {syndicate}, {crime syndicate},
        {mob}]