Meaning & use
natal family
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableformaltechnical
the family into which a person is born, as opposed to a family formed later by marriage or choice.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a natal family' or 'her natal family.'
Patterns
- someone's natal family
- the natal family of someone
In many cultures, a woman keeps close ties with her natal family after marriage.
He returned to his natal family after living abroad for ten years.
The study compared support from the natal family with support from in-laws.
Word forms
| plural | natal families |
|---|
Common combinations
- ties with one's natal family
- She maintained strong ties with her natal family.
- return to one's natal family
- After the divorce, he returned to his natal family.
- support from one's natal family
- Support from her natal family helped her start the business.
Synonyms and how they differ
- birth family
- More common in everyday speech, especially when talking about adoption or separation.
- family of origin
- Used in psychology and counseling; it focuses on early emotional upbringing rather than biology.
Commonly confused: natal family or native family?
natal family vs native family
'Native family' is not a standard term; 'natal family' is the correct phrase for the family you were born into.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'natal family' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Natal family' refers to the family you were born into, often contrasted with the family you form later; sentence 3 fits this contrast. Sentence 1 is possible but less typical because the term is usually used in formal or academic contexts about origins, not simply inviting relatives.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “natal family”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.