A B1-level Family & People vocabulary set covering kinship terms, life stages, inheritance, and the emotional language used to describe family relationships.
Free Family & People vocabulary flashcards at the B1 level — all 35 words with definitions and examples. Study them with spaced repetition and recognize and use these words confidently in real conversations.
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upbringing
the way a child is cared for and taught while growing up.
generation gap
a difference in ideas and attitudes between older and younger family members.
ancestor
a family member who lived a long time before you were born.
descendant
a person who is related to someone who lived a long time ago.
sibling
a brother or a sister.
guardian
an adult who is legally responsible for taking care of a child.
heir
a person who will legally receive money or property when someone dies.
inheritance
money or property that a person receives from a family member after they die.
widow
a woman whose husband has died.
widower
a man whose wife has died.
in-law
a relative you gain through marriage rather than by birth.
only child
a child who has no brothers or sisters.
inherit
to receive money, property, or a personal trait from a family member.
resemble
to look or act similar to another person, especially a relative.
nurture
to care for someone and help them grow and develop.
rely on
to depend on someone else for help or support.
bond
to form a close emotional connection with another person.
provide for
to give a family the money and things they need to live.
discipline
to teach someone to behave well, sometimes through rules or punishment.
estranged
no longer close to or in contact with a family member.
protective
relating to a strong wish to keep someone safe from harm.
supportive
relating to giving someone help, encouragement, and understanding.
dependent
relating to needing help or support from another person.
independent
relating to being able to live and make decisions without help.
overprotective
relating to being too worried about keeping someone safe from harm.
close-knit
relating to a family with strong and caring relationships between its members.
hereditary
relating to a trait that is passed down from parents to their children.
kinship
the state of being related to other people by blood or marriage.
custody
the legal right and responsibility to take care of a child.
nuclear family
a family group made up of two parents and their children only.
matriarch
the female head of a family or a group of relatives.
patriarch
the male head of a family or a group of relatives.
foster
to raise a child who is not legally your own, without formally adopting them.
pass down
to give a tradition, skill, or object to your children or a younger generation.
biological
relating to a family member connected to you by blood, not by marriage or adoption.