A family of viruses in the order Mononegavirales containing two subfamilies, Paramyxovirinae and Pneumovirinae. Paramyxovirinae comprises five genera: Respirovirus, which includes paramyxoviruses of humans, cattle, dogs and various avian species (avian paramyxoviruses 2–9); Morbillivirus, which includes measles, canine distemper, and rinderpest; Rubulavirus, which includes mumps and a pig rubulavirus; Henipavirus, which includes Hendra and Nipah viruses; Avulavirus, which includes Newcastle disease virus. Pneumovirinae comprises the genera Pneumovirus, which includes respiratory syncytial viruses of humans, cattle, sheep and cats, and the genus Metapneumovirus, which includes turkey rhinotracheitis virus. Viruses in the family are large (180 nm diameter) enveloped and contain a genome that is a single molecule of single-stranded negative sense RNA.