Skip to main content
My Desk

Level: A1

Family & People Vocabulary

English words for family, relationships, and people — grouped by type, each with a clear definition.

500+ words in pictures

All video lessons →
  • Immediate Family
  • family – a group of people related to each other
  • parents – your mother and father
  • mother – your female parent
  • mom – an informal word for mother
  • father – your male parent
  • dad – an informal word for father
  • son – a male child of parents
  • daughter – a female child of parents
  • child – a young person, boy or girl
  • children – more than one child
  • brother – a boy or man who has the same parents as you
  • sister – a girl or woman who has the same parents as you
  • twin – one of two children born at the same time to the same mother
  • only child – a child who has no brothers or sisters
  • triplet – one of three children born at the same time
  • Extended Family
  • grandparents – the parents of your parents
  • grandmother – your mother’s or father’s mother
  • grandfather – your mother’s or father’s father
  • grandson – your son’s or daughter’s son
  • granddaughter – your son’s or daughter’s daughter
  • aunt – your mother’s or father’s sister
  • uncle – your mother’s or father’s brother
  • cousin – the child of your aunt or uncle
  • nephew – your brother’s or sister’s son
  • niece – your brother’s or sister’s daughter
  • ancestor – a family member from a long time ago
  • descendant – a person who comes from a particular family in later generations
  • godparent – a person chosen to guide and support a child
  • In-Laws
  • mother-in-law – your spouse’s mother
  • father-in-law – your spouse’s father
  • son-in-law – your child’s husband
  • daughter-in-law – your child’s wife
  • brother-in-law – your spouse’s brother or your sibling’s husband
  • sister-in-law – your spouse’s sister or your sibling’s wife
  • parent-in-law – a general word for your spouse’s parents
  • family-in-law – your spouse’s family
  • Blended & Modern Families
  • stepfather – your mother’s new husband, not your birth father
  • stepmother – your father’s new wife, not your birth mother
  • stepchild – a child of your husband or wife from another relationship
  • stepson – a male child of your spouse, not your own son
  • stepdaughter – a female child of your spouse, not your own daughter
  • stepbrother – the son of your stepparent
  • stepsister – the daughter of your stepparent
  • half-brother – a brother who shares only one parent with you
  • half-sister – a sister who shares only one parent with you
  • foster parent – a person who cares for a child that is not their own by birth
  • foster child – a child cared for by foster parents
  • guardian – a person who has legal responsibility for a child
  • Relationships & Status
  • wife – a married woman in relation to her spouse
  • husband – a married man in relation to his spouse
  • partner – a person you are married to or have a close relationship with
  • boyfriend – a man someone has a romantic relationship with
  • girlfriend – a woman someone has a romantic relationship with
  • fiance – a man who is engaged to be married
  • fiancee – a woman who is engaged to be married
  • married – having a husband or wife
  • single – not married or in a romantic relationship
  • divorced – no longer married
  • widow – a woman whose spouse has died
  • widower – a man whose spouse has died
  • orphan – a child whose parents have died
  • spouse – a husband or wife
  • ex-husband – a man you were married to before
  • ex-wife – a woman you were married to before
  • Describing People
  • adult – a fully grown person
  • teenager – a person between 13 and 19 years old
  • baby – a very young child
  • boy – a male child or young person
  • girl – a female child or young person
  • man – an adult male person
  • woman – an adult female person
  • male – a boy or man
  • female – a girl or woman
  • person – any human being
  • people – more than one person
  • elderly – an old person, or people who are old
  • youth – a young person, usually between childhood and adulthood
  • relative – a person in your family
  • relatives – people in your family
  • generation – all people born around the same time
  • peer – a person of the same age group
  • Friends, Work & Community
  • friend – a person you like and trust
  • acquaintance – a person you know, but not very well
  • colleague – a person you work with
  • neighbor – a person who lives near you
  • employee – a person who works for someone else
  • boss – a person who manages other workers
  • classmate – a person in your class at school
  • roommate – a person you share a room or apartment with
  • team – a group of people working or playing together
  • volunteer – someone who works to help others without pay
  • member – a person in a group, club, or organization
  • leader – a person who guides or directs a group
  • citizen – a person who belongs to a country
  • immigrant – a person who moves to live in a new country
  • guest – a person who is invited to visit or stay somewhere
  • host – a person who invites guests
  • Famous & Fictional People
  • celebrity – a person who is famous
  • hero – a person admired for bravery or good deeds
  • villain – a bad character in stories or movies
  • character – a person in a story, movie, or play
  • Social Groups & Community
  • community – a group of people living in the same area
  • society – a large group of people who live together and follow rules
  • crowd – a large group of people in one place
  • audience – people who watch or listen to a show or event
  • crew – a group of people who work together, especially on a ship or in a film
  • gang – a group of people who do things together, sometimes illegal
  • tribe – a group of families or people with the same culture and leader