Fam

Fam refers to the close-knit group of people you cherish most, whether they're blood relatives or chosen friends. For example, you might refer to your sister as "fam" or call your best friend "fam" because he's like family to you.

The term first gained popularity in hip-hop culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly in East Coast and Southern scenes, helping push "fam" into wider slang use. By the mid-2010s, social media accelerated fam's popularity, making it a common term in online conversation, texting, and everyday speech to express strong bonds and deep camaraderie.