Refers to one's own family members or household dependents. Somewhat formal or literary.
He worked hard to support his family.
Refers to a subordinate or follower, often in a feudal or hierarchical context. Can also be used figuratively.
The feudal lord had many retainers.
Standard kanji form.
Variant kanji form; 族 emphasizes the group/family aspect.
From Chinese 眷屬 (juànshǔ), meaning 'family dependents'. The Japanese reading is けんぞく.