broken family
Split-apart relatives
A broken family is a household disrupted by divorce, separation, or abandonment—where parents no longer live together or function as a unit.
The term carries judgment, implying damage or failure: He blamed his troubles on coming from a broken family.
Many now prefer neutral alternatives like "single-parent household" or "blended family," finding broken family stigmatizing to children and parents alike.
- divorceLegal end of matrimony
- separatedPut or kept apart
- custodyProtective care or control
- custody battleLegal contest for parenting rights
- single parentUnpartnered mother or father
weekend dad · estranged · split · torn apart · torn · shattered · dysfunctional · absent father · empty chair · stepparent · visitation · court · lawyers · arguments · walking on eggshells · tension · silence · holidays
- backstoryorigin story, origin, past, background, history
- Addiction Harmsaddiction, overdose, dependence, dependency, withdrawal
- heartbreakheartache, heartbreak, dumping, lost love, unrequited love
- tearjerker elementstearjerker, tragedy, loss, grief, heartbreak