If something runs in the family, several people in the same family have it. It can be a talent, looks, a character trait or an illness shared by several relatives. The expression is neutral, so it suits both conversation and essays, and medical texts often use the form run in families.
When would you say run in the family?
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something + runs in the family; runs in my/our family; (illness) runs in families
- Musical talent runs in the family: her grandfather and both parents play the violin.
- Heart problems run in my family, so I have a check-up every year.
- Being late seems to run in our family; we're always the last to arrive at weddings.
What changed
First versionRed hair runs in family, so my son might have it too.
RevisionRed hair runs in the family, so my son might have it too.
The is easy to drop here, but the idiom always has the or a possessive word before family: runs in the family, runs in my family. Without them, you can only use the plural: runs in families.
Run in the family is about a trait that many relatives share. Take after someone means being like one particular relative: I take after my dad; we're both stubborn. Stubbornness runs in our family.
Your turn
My grandmother, my mother and my aunt are all doctors, so medicine clearly ___.
Show the answer
runs in the family — The grandmother, the mother and the aunt are all doctors, so it is a family trait: runs in the family. Without in, you get runs the family, which means manages the family, and medicine doesn't manage anyone.
Write about a talent, character trait or habit that several people in your family share. Name at least two relatives who have it.
Cooking runs in my family: my grandmother ran a small café, and my uncle is a chef in Kazan.
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