A Māori word for extended family that has become part of everyday New Zealand English.
A Māori word for extended family that has become part of everyday New Zealand English. Whanau goes beyond the nuclear family — it includes grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and everyone connected by blood, marriage, or deep community ties. In New Zealand culture, your whanau is your support network, your identity, and your responsibility all rolled into one. The concept emphasises collective wellbeing over individual needs, which is central to Māori values.
She moved back to her hometown to be closer to her whanau after the baby was born.
"whanau" means: A Māori word for extended family that has become part of everyday New Zealand English. Whanau goes beyond the nuclear family — it includes g.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "whanau".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with W.
(NZ) Genealogy, as a fundamental principle of Māori culture that is critical in establishing one's identity.
(NZ, uncountable) A traditional Maori form of adoption practised within the extended family.
(New Zealand) An ancestor, especially a grandparent, in Maori culture.
(NZ) An extended group of Maori kin groups or families, sharing common ancestry; a tribe. (An iwi is smaller than a waka and larger than a hapu.).
"whanau" means: A Māori word for extended family that has become part of everyday New Zealand English. Whanau goes beyond the nuclear family — it includes g.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"whanau" means: A Māori word for extended family that has become part of everyday New Zealand English. Whanau goes beyond the nuclear family — it includes g.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (New Zealand) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally
No comments yet — say something.
(New Zealand) An extended family.
No comments yet — say something.