1
a
: a Celtic group especially in the Scottish Highlands comprising a number of households whose heads claim descent from a common ancestor
the MacDonald clan
b
: a group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor : family
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.
2
: a group united by a common interest or common characteristics
the country club clan
Examples of clan in a Sentence
The tribe is divided into clans.
The whole clan gets together for the holidays.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yakumo is a young member of the Raven clan, a rival to Ryu’s own.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2025
In coincidental tandem, the families behind both enterprises, both of Jewish-immigrant origins and both interlopers from the provinces (the Shuberts from upstate, the Times clan from Tennessee), had been collectively responsible for colonizing Times Square since its birth.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
This public generational saga goes from ancestral investigation (the Fonda clan migrated from Holland to upstate New York in 1654, then Nebraska, where Henry was born) to cultural exegesis.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Apr. 2025
Members of the Kennedy clan have held positions at nearly every level of government.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clan
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Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2025
In coincidental tandem, the families behind both enterprises, both of Jewish-immigrant origins and both interlopers from the provinces (the Shuberts from upstate, the Times clan from Tennessee), had been collectively responsible for colonizing Times Square since its birth.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
This public generational saga goes from ancestral investigation (the Fonda clan migrated from Holland to upstate New York in 1654, then Nebraska, where Henry was born) to cultural exegesis.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Apr. 2025
Members of the Kennedy clan have held positions at nearly every level of government.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clan
Cite this Entry
“Clan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clan. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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