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
Most of his clan had inherited the freckled, rabbity Kennedy looks.
—
Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Outside the hall, Kip Francis, the fourth child in the Francis clan, barbecued on the large drive-up grill this year.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Our tiny hero, Catclaw, is a young moth and a member of the Dreamkins, a noble moth clan that has gone into exile after its former master betrayed the clans’ queen.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The purpose of our mountain drive this morning is to rendezvous with Fitz and the rest of the Caldwell clan and take advantage of the virgin powder now piling up around California’s Carson Pass.
—Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
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Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Outside the hall, Kip Francis, the fourth child in the Francis clan, barbecued on the large drive-up grill this year.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Our tiny hero, Catclaw, is a young moth and a member of the Dreamkins, a noble moth clan that has gone into exile after its former master betrayed the clans’ queen.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The purpose of our mountain drive this morning is to rendezvous with Fitz and the rest of the Caldwell clan and take advantage of the virgin powder now piling up around California’s Carson Pass.
—Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clan
Cite this Entry
“Clan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clan. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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