clan: Meaning and Definition of

clan

Pronunciation: (klan), [key]
— n.
  1. a group of families or households, as among the Scottish Highlanders, the heads of which claim descent from a common ancestor: the Mackenzie clan.
  2. a group of people of common descent; family: Our whole clan got together for Thanksgiving.
  3. a group of people, as a clique, set, society, or party, esp. as united by some common trait, characteristic, or interest: a clan of actors and directors.
    1. the principal social unit of tribal organization, in which descent is reckoned exclusively in either the paternal or the maternal line.
    2. a group of people regarded as being descended from a common ancestor.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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