nuclear family
noun
a social unit composed of two parents and one or more children.
Compare
extended family.
Origin of nuclear family
First recorded in 1945–50
Words nearby nuclear family
British Dictionary definitions for nuclear family
nuclear family
noun
sociol anthropol
a primary social unit consisting of parents and their offspring
Compare extended family
Medical definitions for nuclear family
nuclear family
n.
A family unit consisting of a mother and father and their progeny.
Cultural definitions for nuclear family
nuclear family
A type of family made up only of parents and their children. (Compare extended family.)