Family and Relationships: English Vocabulary List

all the people living in a house together, considered as a social unit

"The household ate dinner together."

"The average household in the city spends about thirty percent of its income on housing and utilities each month."

the legal act of ending a marriage

"The divorce was difficult."

"The couple decided to get a divorce after twenty years of marriage because they had grown apart and could not resolve their conflicts."

to legally end a marriage

"They decided to divorce after years."

"The couple decided to divorce after realizing that their marriage could not be saved despite counseling sessions."

a blood relative who lived a long time ago, usually before one's grandparents

"An ancestor lived here."

"His ancestors immigrated to the United States from Ireland during the great potato famine in the middle of the nineteenth century."

the person one used to be married to or have a relationship with

"My ex called me."

"She ran into her ex at the supermarket and pretended not to see him while she quickly finished her shopping in another aisle."

a large family group consisting of parents and children that might also include grandparents, aunts, or uncles

"Her extended family lives nearby."

"Her extended family includes grandparents aunts uncles and cousins who all live nearby."

a person who takes someone else's child and raises them without legally becoming their parent

"The foster parent helped."

"A foster parent cares for a child temporarily or long term."

either of two children or animals born from the same mother at the same time who are very similar in appearance

"My identical twin is older."

"The identical twin looked exactly like her sister."

a person who is related to someone by marriage

"My in-law is visiting."

"Her mother in law visits every Sunday for dinner and always brings a homemade dessert to share with the whole family."

one's brother or sister

"My sibling is kind."

"A sibling can be a brother or a sister."

the son of one's stepfather or stepmother from a previous relationship

"My stepbrother lives nearby."

"Her stepbrother came to dinner and joined the family conversation."

a child of one's husband or wife from a former marriage

"The stepchild is shy."

"The stepchild slowly adjusted to the new family life."

the daughter of one's spouse from a past relationship

"My stepdaughter is helpful."

"His stepdaughter calls him "Dad" even though he is not her biological father, which makes him very happy and proud."

the man that is married to one's parent but is not one's biological father

"My stepfather is strict."

"Her stepfather walked her down the aisle at her wedding because her biological father had passed away several years earlier."

the woman that is married to one's parent but is not one's biological mother

"His stepmother is kind and helpful."

"The wicked stepmother in the fairy tale treated her stepdaughter cruelly while spoiling her own two daughters."

the daughter of one's stepfather or stepmother from a previous relationship

"My stepsister is funny."

"Her stepsister shared a room with her and became a close friend."

the son of one's spouse from a past relationship

"My stepson is tall."

"The stepson helped with the shopping and carried the bags."

the state in which a couple decide to live apart while they are still legally married

"The separation was painful."

"The couple announced their separation after twenty years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences."

showing a level of love or care that one would only expect a brother to have

"He gave me brotherly advice."

"He gave me brotherly advice and told me to stay away from people who are not good for me."

(of a group of people) having a strong friendly relationship with shared interests

"My family is close-knit."

"The close knit family always eats dinner together and supports each other through good times and bad."

to have a secret romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than one's own partner

"He cheats on her."

"It is deeply hurtful when someone discovers their partner has chosen to cheat on them."

to sing softly in order to help someone fall asleep

"The mother sang her baby to sleep."

"The mother sang her baby to sleep with a gentle lullaby every single night."

having a near blood relationship in a family line

"They are closely related."

"The two siblings are closely related and share many of the same physical features and personality traits."

a sexual relationship between two people in which at least one of them is already committed to someone else

"They had an affair."

"The affair caused a lot of gossip in the office."

a relationship between people or groups based on shared experiences, ideas, or emotions

"They formed a bond."

"The strong bond between the mother and her newborn baby began immediately after the child was born at the hospital."

the line of descendants or family line originating from a specific individual

"The lineage is ancient."

"The royal family can trace its lineage back over five hundred years through carefully preserved records and historical documents."

one's parents or family members in general

"The folks are friendly."

"My folks live in the countryside and visit us often."

the legal act or process of taking someone else's child and raising them as one's own

"The adoption was legal."

"The adoption gave the child a stable and loving home."

to take someone's child into one's family and become their legal parent

"They will adopt a baby."

"The couple decided to adopt a child after years of trying to conceive."

to receive money, property, etc. from someone who has passed away

"She inherits a house from her grandmother."

"When his grandfather died he was surprised to inherit a large house and a considerable amount of money."

to remain loyal to or supportive of someone, particularly during a hard time

"I will stand by you."

"The loyal friend promised to stand by her best friend through all of life's difficulties no matter what challenges they would face together."

to look or act like an older member of the family, especially one's parents

"She takes after mom."

"The young musician seems to take after his father's incredible talent for playing the piano."