Here is an overview of the generic font families found in many word processing programs:

1. Serif: Serif fonts are traditional typefaces using characters that have serifs which are small winged or flared tips extending off the tips of a letter. Serif fonts are typically used in printed books, newspapers, and magazines. Some popular serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, Palatino, and Georgia.
2. Sans-Serif: Sans-serif fonts use characters without serifs and are more commonly seen in digital formats. A sans-serif font will typically be the default font in digital word processing programs. Sans-serif fonts include Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Trebuchet MS, and Gill Sans.
3. Cursive: Cursive fonts use characters that have connective strokes which give the font a handwritten appearance. Cursive fonts include Comic Sans MS, Adobe Poetica, Sanvito, and Zapf-Chancery.
4. Fantasy: Fantasy fonts are stylized fonts that still maintain the characteristics of non-cursive, traditional alphabet glyphs. Examples include Cottonwood, Critter, and Alpha Geometrique.
5. Monospace: Fonts in the monospace font family have characters that are all the same width, giving text the appearance of a manual monospaced typewriter. Examples of monospaced fonts include Courier New, Monaco, Lucida Console, Consolas, and Everson Mono.

Understanding Font Families: 5 Types of Font Families