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family room

family room

27 1.0
A room in a house where people relax and spend time together
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ruːm/
translation icon : sala de estar
  • We gathered in the family room to play games and enjoy each other's company.

Examples

  • After supper, they returned to the family room and quietly read some magazines.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I could hear Lucy in the family room playing the piano, or trying to.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • But when she joined the men in the family room, Steve looked serious.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Most of the smoke damage was confined to the family room.

  • When the pizza arrived, they all gathered around the table in the family room off the kitchen.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • After dinner, on cue, George and the boys went to the family room to watch Star Trek.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Consuelo sat in the family room, face buried in her hands, crying.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The snow and the sun-warmed windows of the family room calmed him.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Consuelo sat silently on the couch in the family room, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Downstairs, in the family room, El flung The New Yorker into Bill's lap.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

living room
vsfamily room
617 1.0

A room in a house where people relax and sit together, for example to watch TV

is more focused on household life and informal activities than broad social space
sitting room
vsfamily room
  • UK
20 1.6

A room in a house where people sit and talk

is oriented toward household events and casual activities rather than quiet sitting only
rec room
vsfamily room
  • Informal
17 3.3

A room in a house for games and relaxing

is for household gatherings and casual relaxation rather than specialized play
front room
vsfamily room
  • UK
16 1.2

A room at the front of a house where people sit, talk, and relax

is used for household leisure and informal activities rather than formal display
tv room
vsfamily room
8 1.0

A room in a house for watching TV

is used for varied social and household activities, not only media viewing
game room
vsfamily room
  • US
7 1.4

A room with games like table tennis, pool, or video games for fun

is for casual household relaxing and mixed everyday activities rather than party focus
recreation room
vsfamily room
2 2.7

A room with games and space for relaxing and having fun

is used for household relaxation and varied household activities rather than only games

How Comfortable

den
  • US
1 1.0
family room
27 1.0
living room
617 1.0
parlor
  • US
186 4.4

Surface Forms

family room singular
family rooms plural

Morphology

family + room

The meaning 'a room in a house used for informal entertaining, relaxation, and family activities' is directly and compositionally derived from 'family' (household members) + 'room' (an indoor area). This is a common, literal house-vocabulary compound with cross-linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The name family room comes from houses that added a second living space for everyday life. It literally means a room for the family to sit, play, and relax, not a 'formal' space for 'guests', so today it means a casual room for family activities.