遺族(いぞく)

いぞく
noun
bereaved family; surviving family
formalfamily
1. bereaved family; surviving family members
The family members left behind after someone dies. Used in formal, news, and legal contexts.
遺族(いぞく)にお悔(く)やみを申(もう)し上(あ)げた。
I offered my condolences to the bereaved family.
遺族(いぞく)が記者会見(きしゃかいけん)で心境(しんきょう)を語(かた)った。
The bereaved family spoke about their feelings at a press conference.
事故(じこ)の遺族(いぞく)に対(たい)する補償(ほしょう)が十分(じゅうぶん)でないと批判(ひはん)されている。
The compensation for the families of accident victims has been criticized as insufficient.

遺族(いぞく) is a formal noun used primarily in news reporting, legal documents, and official contexts. It specifically refers to the family of someone who has died.

Common collocations

  • 遺族(いぞく)年金(ねんきん) (survivor's pension)
  • 遺族(いぞく)補償(ほしょう) (compensation for bereaved families)
  • 遺族(いぞく)の気持(きも)ち (the feelings of the bereaved family)
  • 戦没者(せんぼつしゃ)遺族(いぞく) (families of war dead)

Usage

This word is frequently encountered in news reports about accidents, disasters, and crimes. In legal contexts, 遺族(いぞく) has a specific meaning as those entitled to inheritance or compensation.

Related Words

Related: 故人(こじん) (the deceased, the late)
Related: 未亡人(みぼうじん) (widow)
Compare: 生存者(せいぞんしゃ) (survivor)
general
Added 2026.3.4 14:27 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
14500/14886_izoku