What does clan mean?
A clan is a group of people who claim descent from a common ancestor, most famously among Scottish Highland families such as the Campbells or the MacLeods, each historically associated with a particular territory, chief, and distinctive tartan. The word comes from the Gaelic clann, meaning 'children' or 'offspring', reflecting the idea that members are all children of a shared forebear. Beyond its Celtic heartland, clan has broadened to describe any large family — as in inviting 'the whole clan' to a wedding — or any tight-knit group marked by fierce loyalty and internal solidarity. Anthropologists use it more precisely for a unilineal descent group tracing ancestry through either the male or female line. Related forms include the adjective clannish, which suggests exclusivity, and the noun clanship, denoting the spirit of belonging such groups inspire.
A group of close-knit and interrelated families, especially in the Scottish Highlands, claiming descent from a common ancestor.
"The MacDonald clan once controlled vast territories in the western isles."
In Scotland, clans were historically headed by a chief and identified by distinctive tartans.
Informally, any large family or group of people with strong ties and a shared identity.
"Grandma insists the whole clan come home for Christmas dinner."
Regular plural; used both for specific historical clans and for clans generally across cultures.
"Highland clans clashed repeatedly over territory during the medieval period."
Scottish clans weren't named after places but after ancestors — and the word itself comes straight from the Gaelic 'clann', meaning 'children'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clan
Clan entered English in the early 15th century from Scots Gaelic clann, meaning 'offspring' or 'children', itself derived from Old Irish cland, ultimately traced to Latin planta ('sprout, plant'). It originally referred specifically to the great kinship groups of the Scottish Highlands before widening into general use for any extended family or close-knit group. Cognates survive in Irish Gaelic, where clann likewise means children or descendants.
Related word forms
How clan is actually used
The word is neutral to warm in tone when describing family gatherings ('the whole clan'), but 'clannish' carries a negative connotation of being exclusive or cliquish. In anthropology, 'clan' is a technical term for a unilineal descent group, broader than a lineage.
Easily confused with clan
A 'clique' (often misspelled as 'click') is a small, exclusive social circle, whereas a clan is a large kinship-based group; the two differ in size and basis of membership.
A cliché is an overused expression, entirely unrelated in meaning to a clan despite a similar opening sound.