kin

1 of 3

noun

ˈkin How to pronounce kin (audio)
Synonyms of kin
1
: a group of persons of common ancestry : clan
2
a
: one's relatives : kindred
our neighbors and their kin
close kin
b
: kinsman
He wasn't any kin to you …—Jean Stafford
3
archaic : kinship

kin

2 of 3

adjective

: kindred, related

-kin

3 of 3

noun suffix

kən
variants or less commonly -kins
kənz
: little
catkin
babykins

Synonyms of kin

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of kin in a Sentence

Noun They are her distant kin. invited all of his kith and kin to his graduation party
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Duckworth's bill, if passed, would require the Pentagon to combine all casualty records for the Iran war into a single count and notify the next-of-kin of those killed of the corrections. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 The same forces now shape the wider world of compliance attestation ISO 27001 certification, CMMC assessments and their kin. — Amir Tarighat, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Adjective
Some of the helpers were non-kin, demonstrating cooperative social behavior that extends beyond family bonds. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026 Across the country, there is a shortage of non-kin foster homes which makes searching and supporting kin an even greater priority. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kin

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English cynn; akin to Old High German chunni race, Latin genus birth, race, kind, Greek genos, Latin gignere to beget, Greek gignesthai to be born

Adjective

attributive use of kin entry 1

Noun suffix

Middle English, from Middle Dutch -kin; akin to Old High German -chīn, diminutive suffix

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kin was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing kin

Rhymes for kin

See All Rhymes for kin

Browse Nearby Words

Kim Young Sam
kin
-kin
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Cite this Entry

“Kin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kin. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

kin

1 of 3 noun
ˈkin How to pronounce kin (audio)
1
: a person's relatives
2
: kinsman

kin

2 of 3 adjective
: being related : kindred

-kin

3 of 3 noun suffix
kən
variants also -kins
kənz
: little
—often used in affectionate nicknames
babykins
Etymology

Noun suffix

Middle English -kin "little," from early Dutch -kin "little"

Legal Definition

kin

noun
: one's relatives
kinship
-ˌship How to pronounce kin (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on kin

Nglish: Translation of kin for Spanish Speakers

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