Meaning & use
close to family
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
having a strong, loving relationship with your relatives and spending time with them.
Grammar: Usually used after 'be' or 'feel', with a possessive word before 'family': She is close to her family.
Patterns
- be close to family
- feel close to family
- close to your family
Even though she lives abroad, she stays close to family and calls her parents every day.
He has always been close to family, so he visits his grandparents every weekend.
They raised their children to be close to family and to help one another.
phrasefixed phrase
emotionally connected to your relatives in a way that influences your decisions or values.
Grammar: Often used to explain someone's priorities or choices: He chose the job because he wanted to be close to family.
Patterns
- want to be close to family
- stay close to family
- remain close to family
She turned down the promotion because she wanted to remain close to family.
His decision to move back home was driven by a desire to be close to family.
Being close to family has always been more important to him than earning a lot of money.
Common combinations
- be close to family
- I try to be close to family even when I'm busy.
- stay close to family
- They stayed close to family after moving to a new city.
- feel close to family
- She feels close to family whenever they gather for holidays.
- remain close to family
- He remained close to family throughout his illness.
- grow up close to family
- I grew up close to family and learned to value traditions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- family-oriented
- Describes a person whose life centers on family; 'close to family' focuses on the emotional bond, while 'family-oriented' describes a general attitude or lifestyle.
- devoted to family
- Suggests strong loyalty and commitment; 'close to family' is warmer and more about emotional closeness than duty.
Opposites
Commonly confused: close to family or close family? close to family or near family?
close to family vs close family
'Close family' means your immediate relatives (parents, siblings, children), while 'close to family' describes your relationship with them.
close to family vs near family
'Near family' usually means physically close in distance, but 'close to family' is about emotional closeness.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'close to family' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly shows emotional closeness through regular contact. Option 1 describes physical distance, which is 'near family', not 'close to family'. Option 2 describes having many relatives, not the relationship. Option 3 suggests a lack of closeness because visits are rare.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “close to family”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.