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family gathering

family gathering

15 1.0
A time when family members meet to celebrate or spend time together
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˈɡæðərɪŋ/
translation icon : reunión familiar
  • Last weekend, we had a family gathering to celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday.

So I'm quite quiet at family gatherings, letting the next generation have its say.

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Examples

  • Her five rambunctious older brothers spoiled her rotten and kept things hopping at family gatherings.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Sunday breakfasts in the past used to be family gatherings.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • We're trying to have a nice family gathering, all right?

  • Oh, what a lovely family gathering.

  • I would see her every six months or so at a family gathering.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Besides, I am telling him that we are having a quiet little family gathering.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Holidays are often times for family gatherings, but this one was very different.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The holidays are fast approaching and that means family gatherings and parties with friends.

  • I sang Hebrew songs at family gatherings.

  • In our family gatherings, the three of us often reenacted myths for the family.

    Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

party
vsfamily gathering
1.0

An event where people meet to celebrate, eat, and have fun

focuses on relatives meeting, not any celebration open to all invitees
gathering
vsfamily gathering
203 1.0

A meeting of people for a social or special purpose

is used when the meeting is only for relatives, not for any people assembled
get-together
vsfamily gathering
  • Informal
46 1.9

A small informal meeting for people to talk and spend time together

can be formal or informal and usually involves relatives rather than strangers
family reunion
vsfamily gathering
42 1.1

A gathering of family members to celebrate and reconnect

is the broader phrase for relatives meeting, not only formal reconnection events
social event
vsfamily gathering
19 1.9

A gathering where people meet to talk and enjoy themselves

is specifically for relatives meeting, not every general meeting of people
social gathering
vsfamily gathering
7 2.7

An event where people meet to talk and spend time together

focuses on relatives meeting specifically rather than general assemblies of people
social occasion
vsfamily gathering
3 2.8

An event where people meet to celebrate or spend time together

is used for relatives meeting and can be less formal than official ceremonies

How Big

family gathering
15 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

family + gathering

The meaning 'an occasion when members of a family meet' is directly derivable from combining 'family' (people related by blood/marriage) with 'gathering' (a group assembled for a social purpose). This noun+noun composition is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Family gathering comes from the image of a family coming together to gather around food or in a home for a special day. That's why it means 'an occasion when members of a family meet', usually for a social event or celebration.