FAMILY WAY Synonyms: 12 Similar and Opposite Words

family way

noun

Definition of family way

as in pregnancy

the state of containing unborn young within the body noticing the telltale bump, we guessed that she was in the family way again

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of family way The family way of basketball spread to Turgeon’s son Will, who grew up in Wichita and on the courts his father coached on. — Pj Green march 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026 That was the family way, as Schadt’s great-grandfather, Jacob Heitzman, started the place in 1891. — Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Jan. 2026 One thing that the proud mom believes helped propel her son to success was the Cochran family way, coined by her father in a book. — Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 9 Feb. 2022 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. — Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for family way

Noun

They’re born before antibodies – protective proteins that recognize incoming germs – can be transferred from mother to baby during the later stages of pregnancy.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, there’s a little more nuance.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pregnancy

Noun

Raelynn Kubiske was born almost four months early, at 23 weeks and six days gestation on July 18, 2025.

— Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
The new songs on Goin’ Local are the result of a slow gestation period over several years, some beginning more than a decade ago with his co-producer Tony Shanahan, bassist from the Patti Smith Group.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of gestation

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family trees

family way

famine

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“Family way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20way. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of family way

noun

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