bereaved family; surviving family; family of the deceased
Refers to the family members left behind after someone has died. Common in news, legal, and condolence contexts.
Compensation was paid to the bereaved family of the accident.
The funeral was held respecting the wishes of the surviving family.
The bereaved family of the person who died in the accident held a press conference.
The company apologized to the bereaved family and promised to prevent a recurrence.
遺族 refers to the whole surviving family of a deceased person, while 遺児 specifically means a child left behind after a parent's death.
遺族 refers to the people left behind, while 遺産 (sharing the same 遺 kanji) refers to the property or estate they inherit.
遺族 means the bereaved family as a whole, while 未亡人 refers specifically to the surviving wife.
Compound of 遺 (い, 'leave behind') and 族 (ぞく, 'family'). The kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of a family left behind after a death.
The bereaved family filed a lawsuit against the hospital seeking damages.
When reporting the news, one should be considerate of the bereaved family's feelings.