1. a group of families in ancient Rome claiming descent from a common ancestor and sharing a name
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to a specific Roman family group
2. in anthropology, a social group based on kinship and descent
Usage: academic; used in ethnographic studies

Examples

• The Julii gens was one of the most prominent families in Roman history.
• Members of the same gens shared religious rituals and property rights.
• Anthropologists study the gens as a fundamental unit of social organization in many cultures.
• The patrician gentes controlled much of Rome's political power during the Republic.
• Each gens had its own patron deity and ancestral traditions.