first family

American

noun

a family having the highest or one of the highest social ranks in a given place.
(often initial capital letters) the family of the president of the U.S. or the family of the governor of a state.
a family descended from a colonist or early settler in a country, region, etc..

one of the first families of Virginia.

Etymology

Origin of first family

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

DIY Dad, as he is known online, started making videos while renovating his first family home in Ipswich, creating a series called Dad Showed Me.

From BBC

His first family meeting was in 1984.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I think the first family that I heard about where I recognized the cruelty and the inhumanity of it all was the Gonzalez family,” he said, referring to Quintino’s parents.

From Los Angeles Times

CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter recently reminded his newsletter’s readers that NBC used to promote “Today” as “America’s first family,” pointing out that “this agonizing week has shown why.”

From Salon

There is footage of the highly choreographed move-in and move-out process that happens every four years when a new first family moves into the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023