what is extended family

An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. It can also refer to an extensive group of people who are related by blood or marriage or who otherwise regard themselves as a large family. In some circumstances, the extended family comes to live either with or in place of a member of the immediate family. These families include, in one household or close proximity, relatives in addition to an immediate family. For example, an elderly parent who moves in with his or her children due to old age is considered part of the extended family. In many cultures, extended families are the basic family unit, and even in Western Europe, extended families were prevalent.