adj · neutral
nuclear
UK/ˈnjuːkliə(r)/US/ˈnuːkliər/NU·cle·ar
Relating to a family unit consisting only of parents and their children; central or core.
Examples
“The nuclear family became more common in the twentieth century.”
“They prefer a quiet life in a nuclear household out of the city.”
“Studies compare the benefits of nuclear and extended family structures.”
Band 8 sentence
“Policy debates often consider whether support for nuclear households should differ from that for extended families.”
Collocations
- nuclear family
- nuclear household
Word family
Common mistakes
use 'nuclear' thinking only about bombs→use 'nuclear' with 'family' to mean gia đình hạt nhân
say 'a nuclear' alone without a noun→use 'nuclear' with a following noun like 'family' or 'household'
Say it for a higher band
5immediate→6core→7+nuclear
Synonyms
immediate
Easily confused
extended
“Extended families often share childcare responsibilities across generations.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Family & Relationships
Learn it with its set