lexis4u: Family Members Classification

Interlinked Thematic Vocabulary Unit Nº 291 Version 1

Main Definitions

family member |n| a person who belongs to a (particular) family; a (close) relative.
"Friends and family member recognized that something was wrong."
"A family member who is not an EU citizen is obliged to possess at this time a valid travel document and an entry visa if required."
"Are you or any family member applying because of an accident or injury that someone else might be responsible for?"
"In duly justified cases, the duration of the residence permit of the family member of the researcher may be shortened"
relative |n| a person who is connected with another or others by blood or marriage.
"At the family reunion, I saw relatives I haven't seen in years."
"The Convention recognizes the right of the relatives and all victims to know the truth regarding the circumstances of all enforced disappearance cases."
"Children view their elderly relatives as the source of their existence and pride."
close relative |n| a member of your family such as your brother, sister, parent. etc.
"The wedding was attended by close family only."
"Most of the students on the course were close relatives of tannery owners and for this reason showed a very positive interest in the training received."
"Neither one of my parents was addiction-oriented, but I had close relatives who were."
distant relative |n| a relative you share distant family ties with.
"We've got some distant relatives in Scotland, but we don't even know their names."
"Joanna says she's a distant relative of the queen, but nobody believes her."
"When he was invested as President, he invited some very distant relatives from Sitges to attend."
"Many of these people have discovered distant relatives in far-flung corners of the world."
family relationship |n| relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption
"So is allowing sufficient time off for maternity and paternity leave, and time off to maintain family relationships and doing family matters."
"Some of my family relationships changed for good, as I was branded untrustworthy."
"One of the differences I see among Latino families and White families is that generally speaking Latinos value family relationships over education."

Immediate Family Members

a) The Parents

parent |n| one that begets or brings forth offspring.
"Just became parents of twins."
"She went home for parents' evenings arranged at the school attended by her boys."
"Every parent has his or her own style when talking about important subjects."
"It helps the child when the parent shows confidence and good feelings about the new situation."
"It is unbelievable how much a good conversation with another parent can motivate me."
father / dad |n| a man in relation to his natural child or children.
"The early comics, and this movie, are loaded with family drama - missing fathers, vulnerable fathers , fathers-gone-bad."
"Omar's father and uncles have been fishermen for a long time."
"The father is the master and the head of the nuclear family."
"In addition, the law grants custody of children only to the father and grandfather."
mother / mom |n| a woman in relation to a child or children to whom she has given birth.
"In eight of these cities, more than 60% of births were to unwed mothers."
"The last time, a few years ago, Ibelia thought her mother was gone for good."
"Hospitals and other health facilities play a critical role in the continuum of care from mother to child."
"When I was released I lived with my mother for some time."

b) The Sons and Daughters

son |n| a boy or man in relation to either or both of his parents.
"Throughout their relationship, they had been the main parents to four sons , all of whom had been conceived in previous marriages."
"Half of the sons do not have the gene and cannot pass it on."
"This booklet help us to value and address the education of our sons and daughters."
"Doctors told Flavio they had to wait to see if there was going to be any permanent damages to his son's organs."
dauther |n| a girl or woman in relation to either or both of her parents.
"Another possibility is that the findings reveal a reciprocal relationship between daughters and their parents.
"She was the first born daugther of the King and Queen of Greece, Paul I and Federika."
"She is daugther of the famous "Darike" which already has many good results in Endurance."
brother |n| a man or boy in relation to other sons and daughters of his parents.
"To Tara's parents, brothers and sisters, relations and friends we offer our deepest sympathies and wish upon her the light of Heaven."
"I went back about three years ago because I found out that my brother had died."
"I shall never forget how I had to take my three month old little brother to the nursery because my mother had to go to work early."
sister |n| a woman or girl in relation to other daughters and sons of her parents.
"There was one room for my nine brothers and sisters and my parents."
"For instance, I recently thanked my older sister for teaching me how to knit many years ago when we were children."
"Sandra's sister tells us that Juan once spent two months in the government hospital for being severely malnourished."
siblings |n| each of two or more children or offspring having one or both parents in common; a brother or sister.
"I do not know if there were any other siblings or if their parents had any brothers or sisters."
"Immediate family shall include spouse, children, siblings, or parents."
"Her time was also given to working with her siblings in the family business."
"How would my siblings feel about recording details of their lives?"
first born |n| a person's first child.
"Their firstborn arrived."
"She was the first born daugther of the King and Queen of Greece, Paul I and Federika."
"Now, Cain's first-born son was named Enoch, which means dedication, or awareness."
"For example, the house of the first-born son is to be found next to his parents' house, with the youngest son's house situated further from the centre."
"She was the first born daugther of the King and Queen of Greece, Paul I and Federika."

Relatives and Extended Family

a) The Grands

grandparents |n| grandparent a parent of one's father or mother; a grandmother or grandfather.
"It must be a great blessing to have Chloe's grandparents living nearby."
"May parents and grandparents share with them the privilege of living!"
"His grandparents were farmers and often provided food to those they knew needed it."
"This lesson was instilled in him at a young age by his parents and grandparents."
grandfather |n| the father of one's father or mother.
"His grandmother was a singer, both his grandfather and father were principal dancers and his mother danced in the corps."
"One grandfather, who sold junk, walked with a limp because he'd wounded himself rather than serve in the czar's army."
"Truth, integrity, family, and - like my grandfather says "Only take enough for yourself"!"
"In addition, the law grants custody of children only to the father and grandfather."
grandmother |n| the mother of one's father or mother.
"Yes, women's liberation has given us choices that our grandmothers and even mothers could only dream of, but it has its downside too."
"Back home, my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line."
"She left her children with their grandmother who could keep them for a while, and got as far as the Rio Grande where she could not cross without help."
"Then in about two to three years my grandmother got remarried."
grandchild |n| a child of one's son or daughter.
"They have one daughter and two grandchildren, who now live at their old farmhouse in South Cerney."
"The ideal encounter is said to be that between the grandfather, who has already lost his memory, and the grandchild, who does not yet have one."
"The grandparent/grandchild bond is very special and unique."
"Beatriz, "Tati", who was carrying in her bulging womb the grandchild that Allende would never get to know", wrote."
granddaughter |n| a daughter of one's son or daughter.
"I was blessed with three daughters, two granddaughters and a grandson."
"His granddaughter attributes his long life to hard but satisfying work, a positive attitude, good genes, and a loving family."
"Her 5-year-old granddaughter, Kerly Quinllin, is a sponsored child."
"In England, my sister gave me a present for my granddaughter - a small silver spoon and fork in a box that had been given to her by our grandmother."
grandson |n| the son of one's son or daughter.
"She could not believe that her mother, who was devoted to her daughter and her two grandsons, would have ignored them in her will."
"When her grandson was struggling in first grade last year, the family rallied around to help him."
"I am also blessed with a great grandson and another on the way."
"Now her grandson is thriving in school, she says."

b) The Greats

great grandfather |n| a father of one's grandmother or grandfather.
"The self-regard of these populations, he was convinced, would condemn them to the same fate as their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers."
"He was, after all, an 80-year-old man and a great-grandfather."
"Though he is a great-grandfather, Martínez has the energy and exuberance of a man half his age."
"The teacher talked to Ian and found out that his great-grandfather had fought in World War II."
great grandmother |n| a mother of one's grandmother or grandfather.
"I know my great-grandmother on my mother's side was also a Canadian."
"After Stalin's death my great-grandmother, who had also been deported to Siberia, set out alone and on foot for her home country of Estonia."
"At age 74, Huerta, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, continues to inspire activism."
"His godparents were His Royal Highness the Count of Barcelona, Juan de Borbon, and his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenia."
great granddaughter |n| a daughter of one's grandchild.
"They now have six grandchildren and six great-granddaughters."
"Lelia Bundles, a former ABC News producer and executive, is Madam Walker's biographer and great-great-granddaughter."
"Ms Carla Sandrini, the great Argentine actor's great-granddaughter after whom the theater was named, was present at the opening on November 12, 1999."
great grandson |n| a son of one's grandchild.
"The winner, who does not want to be named, has two grandchildren and a three-year-old great-grandson."
"There's a NorthAmerican novel in which a great-grandfather meets his great-grandson."
"They had been offered to Fontainebleau for the Musée Napoléon in 1979 by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, the great grandson of King Jerome."
"I am also blessed with a great grandson and another on the way."

c) The Great-Greats

great-great-grandfather |n| the grandfather of a grandparent.
"Hadn't Soli's great-great-grandfather left the tribe a few generations ago to journey across the southern ice?"
"You see, long ago my father told me about this tower and the treasure my great-great-grandfather had hidden here.My great-great-grandfather, full-blooded cherokee indian came to me in a vision."
"My great-great-grandfather helped build the Brooklyn Bridge."
"You're saying our great-great-grandfather invented unions?"
great-great-grandmother |n| the mother of someone’s great-grandparent.
"Sicelo and his cousin Trymore grin when they say it is they who take care of their great-great-grandmother."
"His godparents were His Royal Highness the Count of Barcelona, Juan de Borbon, and his great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenia."
"Lying under green plastic sheeting, Ilunga Kapinga - 86 years old and a great-grandmother - describes how she fled to the camp."
"Sicelo and his cousin Trymore grin when they say it is they who take care of their great-great-grandmother."
"His godparents were His Royal Highness the Count of Barcelona, Juan de Borbon, and his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenia."
great-great-granddaughter |n| the daughter of a grandchild.
"The model and great-great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway has posed for the MANGO catalogue for the coming season."
"They were used for publications and then they disappeared. Shumard finally tracked down a print of Walker and was about to bid on it at an art auction in New York City when Walker's great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles, donated the likeness that now hangs in the exhibition's main hall."
"If we leave it to a change of mentality, then we could still be having this discussion when our great-great-granddaughters are MEPs."
great-great grandson |n| the grandson of a grandchild.
"She had 12 children: 6 boys and 6 girls, 33 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren and a great-great grandson."
"Randal Keynes is the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin."
"They had been offered to Fontainebleau for the Musée Napoléon in 1979 by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, the great great grandson of King Jerome."
"There's a NorthAmerican novel in which a great-great-grandfather meets his great-great-grandson."

d) The Uncle, Aunt and Cousins

uncle |n| the brother of one's father or mother or the husband of one's aunt.
"Along with the children of the dead, there were the mothers and fathers, uncles and aunts, husbands and wives; except that in one case, there was neither husband nor wife."
"For his birthday, his uncle gives him a Kodak Brownie camera, which he still has."
"Something similar happened when my uncle asked me to lie before the judge and to take the blame."
"Tell your uncle I spotted them, not the friars."
aunt |n| the sister of one's father or mother or the wife of one's uncle.
"Our girls need their mothers and fathers, their aunts and uncles, but they need their big sisters too."
"Talking to her is like talking to an older sister or a favorite aunt for whom you have a lot of respect."
"Yassir was a cheerful and extrovert child with sparkling eyes and open smile that since a few years living with his Aunt."
"I heard that my 60 years old aunt was in one of the transports."
cousin |n| a child of one's uncle or aunt.
"Not just the immediate family, but including all my aunts, uncles, cousins , nieces, nephews."
"This means enhancing the image of technical and vocational education - the school system's poor cousin in many countries. unesdoc.unesco.org."
"Mary then visits her elderly cousin Elizabeth, who also is pregnant."
"A cousin visited the family after escaping from a transport and said the rumors were true."
"It was left to Theodore Roosevelt's cousin to shift policy back toward political and cultural preservation."
nephew |n| a son of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law.
"His is regretted by his brother, sisters, nephews , nieces, relatives and friends."
"His uncle, the closest surviving member of his family, is told to watch over his nephew more closely."
"Coverage will terminate when your grandchild, sibling, nephew or niece reaches age 25 or ceases to be a full-time student, whichever occurs first."
"The nephew plays with his cousins at the front of the patio."
niece |n| a daughter of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law.
"Gerry is survived by his brothers, sister, nieces , nephews and other relatives."
"Ron, with Betty Lou's sister Ruth Denor and niece Jackie Kempen, attended the center's inauguration last June 16."
"Ana, who is seven months pregnant, is the mother of six children and is also responsible for her niece."
"It has been six months since my programme started and I am already back home, I contribute to raising my niece and I have a job that I love."

The In-Laws

in-law |n| a relative by marriage.
father-in-law |n| the father of one's spouse.
"It will have to be signed by his wife, his father-in-law and his father jointly."
"One of the calls was made to the telephone belonging to Ramón Lago, the author's father-in-law."
"A few years ago, his father-in-law told him that he and Daniel Webster just might be the two greatest senators of all time."
"Pekko was having his first child and his father-in-law insisted he should get a camcorder."
mother-in-law |n| the mother of one's husband or wife.
"Whenever possible, we go back to relieve his wife and my mother-in-law Judith of her bedside vigil."
"Thanks to two foster mothers, he has four moms, counting his mother-in-law."
"Cornish, 65, was caregiver to her parents and mother-in-law for many years before their deaths."
"My Nepalese mother-in-law, in common with many women in Nepal, did not to school."
son-in-law |n| the husband of one's daughter.
"She is mourned by her husband Timmie, sons, daughters, sons-in-law , daughters-in-law, grandchildren, relatives and friends."
"In addition to these roles, you also play the role of the perfect son-in-law."
"There, Liba's father bought the newlyweds a home and started his new son-in-law in the wholesale textile busines."
"The son-in-law of San Ignacio de Moxos's mayor pays workers to cut mahogany trees in La Asunta."
daughter-in-law |n| the wife of one's son.
"Predeceased by her husband Michael she is survived by her sons, daughters, brother, daughters-in-law , sons-in-law, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and by other relations."
"Later discussions led me to have a meeting with my daughter-in-law."
"We offered her time to rest and have therapy, but she insisted on leaving for Florida to work in the oranges so her daughter-in-law would not lose the house."
"A daughter-in-law cannot tell a mother to change her habits."
brother-in-law |n| the brother of one's wife or husband.
"Mike picked up the snapshot of the late Mr Piggot, his brother-in-law and the two wives."
"The first thing my brother-in-law said when he saw Valerio was, "We are lucky."
"Based on Floras experience as a sponsor, her coworkers and her brother-in-law might want to make sure their passports are all up-to-date!"
"I went to my sister's house and hung out with my brother-in-law and his two kids."
sister-in-law |n| the sister of one's wife or husband.
"His family, especially his valiant sister-in-law, did everything they could to have him freed."
"About ten years ago, my sister-in-law, married to my twin brother, invited me to their home for the weekend."
"My Argentine-born sister-in-law Griselda Domínguez Asayama, 58, left the church and became a Mormon well before moving to the United States."
"Vega Borges referred to the fact that Rodriguez is the sister-in-law of one of the owners of Lopito, Ileana & Howie advertising agency, which was in charge of Calderon's campaign in 2000."

Step Family Members

stepfather |n| a man who is married to one's mother after the divorce of one's parents or the death of one's father.
"Researchers interviewed all 162 children (initially at an average age of eight and a half) about their relationship with their mothers, fathers and stepfathers."
"I was six when my mother moved in with my stepfather."
"When she remarried, Romo realized Ruby-Marie also needed to get along with her stepfather."
"I am looking forward to becoming a stepfather when Sarmite's 13-year-old daughter, Laura, comes to live here."
stepmother |n| a woman who is married to one's father after the divorce of one's parents or the death of one's mother.
"My mother is dead, and my father lives with my stepmother in a town just outside of London."
"After he broke the news to her, though, Shelly's father surprised her by asking how she felt about having a stepmother."
"Three months after her dad remarried, Shelly was beginning to enjoy the time she spent with her father and stepmother."
"The boy joined his father and the new stepmother in Mainland China."
stepson |n| a son of one's husband or wife by a previous marriage.
"They have a son, a daughter, a stepson from her previous marriage and two cats."
"A native of Lodi, Shiroma is married and has one stepson."
"I'll urge my stepson to take all the math he can get."
"The person who commissioned this sumptuous service in 1808 was probably Eugène de Beauharnais, Napoleon's stepson."
stepdaughter |n| a daughter of one's husband or wife by a previous marriage.
"My husband has a stepdaughter from a previous marriage."
"This can be seen at various times such as when Pompeii married Sila's stepdaughter, Emilia who belonged to the Metellus family."
"Father-in-law and daughter-in-law, son-in-law and mother-in-law, stepfather and stepdaughter, stepmother and stepson may not marry, regardless of whether the marriage because of which they have come to be in such a relationship has stopped."
"A stepson or stepdaughter, if they do not receive maintenance from their parents, have the same entitlement to a survivor's pension as natural children."
stepbrother |n| a son of one's stepparent, by a marriage other than that with one's own father or mother.
"And yes, this sort of made Jason her stepbrother in both marriages."
"Stepbrother, stepsister, niece or nephew whom you care for as you would your own child."
"Adriana is now married with two daughters, and she and her husband also provide a home for her mother and stepbrother."
"She ran away with her stepbrother and stayed with a friend in Fortaleza, one of the main tourist resorts on the north-eastern coast of Brazil."
stepsister |n| a daughter of one's stepparent by a marriage other than with one's own father or mother.
"On behalf of the community we extend our deepest sympathy to his sisters, stepsisters, nephews, nieces relatives and friends."
"A character so intense as Jin Munakata and his complex relation with his stepsister make me suspect of a possible personal projection of the author."
"Support from her stepsister surprises Jessie Sammler, but Jessie still denies the truth since she is not yet ready to face the feelings herself."
"Indeed, he took it upon himself to turn watercolor, another of those poor stepsisters, into a princess, with his brush as his magic wand."
half-brother |n| a brother with whom one has only one parent in common.
"She added: ‘And with regard to my two boys, it shows that they are not just half-brothers but brothers."
"So they moved in with their half-brother and his wife."
"My sister was taking care of our half-brother then."
"I stayed alone at home with my other sister, to look after our little half-brother."
half-sister |n| a sister with whom one has only one parent in common.
"The film is about two half-sisters, one of whom has a psychological problem."
"Those who know Obama well -- including his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and his wife, Michelle -- addressed the convention."
"Zigmond's father then married for a third time, and soon Zigmond had a new half-sister and a stable family life."
"Correspondingly, Nina Lagergren, Wallenberg's half-sister, sounds unbreakable, as she has always been."

More Related Family Members

godparent |n| a person who presents a child at baptism and promises to take responsibility for their religious education.
"Being chosen as a godparent for baptism is an honor, for the godparent traditionally becomes a spiritual companion to the one being baptized in a journey of faith."
"You can make a wonderful difference in the life of a child by becoming a Godparent to a child in one of the homes we support."
"As a Godparent, you become an important part of a child's emotional growth."
godmother |n| a woman who presents a child at baptism and promises to take responsibility for their religious education.
"Miss Weeton was godmother to one of his children."
"Each child was carried by or walked beside the person who would be their Godfather or Godmother, the one who would promise to see that this child would be raised with the values that Christ showed us."
"The idea to bring Romeo and Juliet to NPH's stage was from a Dutch godmother who has been very involved in our home and her godchildren's lives."
godfather |n| a man who presents a child at baptism and promises to take responsibility for their religious education.
"He is godfather to her son."
"Good thing, her godfather gave her 3,000 pesos, which we used to buy her gadgets."
"There goes the children's godfather, Drosselmeier, which has a few presents for their nephews, including a soldier-shaped nutcracker."
"In the seventeenth century, the S'Estorell inn belonged to the knight of the Calatrava Order, Sir Alberto de Pax Fuster, husband of a lady who was the wife of the first Count of Santa María de Formiguera and godfather of the infamous, fearsome Comte Mal (Evil Count)."
godchild |n| a person in relation to a godparent.
"His friends' children, many of whom were his godchildren."
"We strongly encourage letter writing because it helps create a special loving relationship between you and your godchild."
"Your godchild will not be allowed to stay with you overnight, but depending on his age, you may make arrangements to take him into the city or to spend the day at the orphanage with him."
"As long as your godchild remains under the care of Fr. Wasson's family, he or she will benefit from your support."
godson |n| a man who presents a child at baptism and promises to take responsibility for their religious education.
"He is godfather to her son."
"New father Godson Beaugelin supports his brother and sister in Haiti by regularly sending money home."
"Welcome to our new godson."
"By coincidence, she meets her prospective boss, Dr. Santiago Azpurua, who is also Don Patricio's godson. Don Patricio discovers his granddaughter's existence and begins to search for her."
goddaughter |n| a female godchild.
"She was the god-daughter of Lady Bartlett."
"Rupert Visits his Goddaughter in Honduras."
"Instead of bringing one gift for his one goddaughter, Mario brought a gift for every girl in the house."
"There, you will see how their relationship through years of open communication and caring letters, through hugs and tears, through wounds and stories of the other children, through the visits for Olympiadas, through the years of growing and learning, through all this Wendy and Rupert have found the truth of what it means to be a godfather and goddaughter."