lineage
/ˈlɪniədʒ/The line of ancestors that a person or family comes down from.
Example: The family traces its lineage back to a fishing village.
C219 words · Proficient
Family & Friends vocabulary — C2
Family & Friends vocabulary for the pull of blood ties and lasting friendships, including patriarch, progeny and forebear, plus confidant and camaraderie.
19 questions
Words in this set
19matriarch
/ˈmeɪtriˌɑrk/The woman who leads a large family and whose authority the others accept.
Example:
The family matriarch decides where everyone gathers each summer.
kinship
/ˈkɪnˌʃɪp/The relationship between people who belong to the same family.
Example:
Our kinship with that branch of the family goes back four generations.
patriarch
/ˈpeɪtriˌɑrk/The oldest or most senior male member of a family, who often holds authority over it.
Example:
The patriarch sat at the head of the table every Sunday.
progeny
/ˈprɑdʒəni/A person's children or descendants, considered together.
Example:
The old king was proud of his many progeny.
forebear
/ˈfɔrˌbɛr/A member of your family who lived a long time ago, especially further back than your grandparents.
Example:
Her forebears settled in the region two centuries ago.
matrilineal
/ˌmætrɪˈlɪniəl/Describes a family line or system in which descent and inheritance are traced through the mother's side.
Example:
Property in this community passes down through a matrilineal system.
consanguinity
The state of being related to someone by blood rather than by marriage.
Example:
The law forbids marriage between close relatives on the grounds of consanguinity.
primogeniture
A system in which the eldest child, traditionally the eldest son, inherits all or most of a family's property.
Example:
Under primogeniture, the entire estate passed to the eldest son.
disinherit
To officially state that someone will not receive money or property from you after you die, even though they normally would.
Example:
He threatened to disinherit his son over the family business.
camaraderie
/ˌkɑmərˈɑdəri/The warm friendly feeling shared by people who work or spend time together as a group.
Example:
The camaraderie in that kitchen keeps everyone coming back.
banter
/ˈbæntər/Playful teasing talk between people who like each other and mean no harm.
Example:
There is constant banter between the two of them.
confidant
/ˈkɑnfəˌdɑnt/A person you trust enough to tell your private thoughts and troubles to.
Example:
Over the years she became my closest confidant.
affinity
/əˈfɪnəti/A natural liking or feeling of closeness between people who understand each other well.
Example:
The two writers felt an immediate affinity for one another.
fraternise
To be friendly with someone, especially in a situation where this is not expected or allowed.
Example:
Staff were told not to fraternise with the guests.
amity
/ˈæmɪti/A state of friendly and peaceful relations between people or groups.
Example:
The two families lived side by side in quiet amity for decades.
clannish
/ˈklænɪʃ/Describes a close group of friends who stay together and are unwelcoming to outsiders.
Example:
The older students were clannish and rarely spoke to anyone new.
rapprochement
/ˌræˌproʊʃˈmɑn/The process of two people or groups becoming friendly again after a period of disagreement.
Example:
After years of silence, their friendship reached a quiet rapprochement.
platonic
/pləˈtɑnɪk/Describing a close bond between two people that involves no romance at all.
Example:
Our friendship stays completely platonic despite what people assume.
