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• cousin
  cousin

  noun

  the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.
• Cousin
  Cousin

  noun

  Victor 1792–1867, French philosopher and educational reformer: founder of the method of eclecticism in French philosophy.

cousin

¹ American  

[kuhz-uhn] / ˈkʌz ən /

noun

cousins plural

1. Also called full cousin.  Also called first cousin.  the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.

2. one related by descent in a diverging line from a known common ancestor, as from one's grandparent or from one's father's or mother's sister or brother.

3. a kinsman or kinswoman; relative.

4. a person or thing related to another by similar natures, languages, geographical proximity, etc..

   Our Canadian cousins are a friendly people.

5. Slang. a gullible, innocent person who is easily duped or taken advantage of.

6. a term of address used by a sovereign in speaking, writing, or referring to another sovereign or a high-ranking noble.

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Cousin ² American  

[koo-zan] / kuˈzɛ̃ /

noun

1. Victor 1792–1867, French philosopher and educational reformer: founder of the method of eclecticism in French philosophy.

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cousin ¹ British  

/ ˈkʌzən /

noun

1. Also called: first cousin.   cousin-german.   full cousin.  the child of one's aunt or uncle

2. a relative who has descended from one of one's common ancestors. A person's second cousin is the child of one of his parents' first cousins. A person's third cousin is the child of one of his parents' second cousins. A first cousin once removed (or loosely second cousin ) is the child of one's first cousin

3. a member of a group related by race, ancestry, interests, etc

   our Australian cousins

4. a title used by a sovereign when addressing another sovereign or a nobleman

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Cousin ² British  

/ kuzɛ̃ /

noun

1. Victor (viktɔr). 1792–1867, French philosopher and educational reformer

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cousin Idioms  

1. see country cousin; first cousin; kissing cousins; second cousin.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cousinage
  noun
• cousinhood
  noun
• cousinship
  noun
• cousinly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cousins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cousin

1250–1300; Middle English cosin < Anglo-French co ( u ) sin, Old French cosin < Latin consōbrīnus cousin (properly, son of one's mother's sister), equivalent to con- con- + sōbrīnus second cousin (presumably originally “pertaining to the sister”) < *swesrīnos, equivalent to *swesr-, gradational variant of *swesōr (> soror sister ) + *-īnos -ine ¹; for -sr- > -br- cf. December

Explanation

If Aunt Sally has a kid, that kid is your cousin, and if Aunt Sally's kid has a kid, and you have a kid too, then your kid and Sally's kid's kid are second cousins. A cousin is a relative that's farther from you than an immediate relation like your brother or sister, usually the child of your aunt or uncle. Depending on how many children are born into your family, you might have tons of cousins you've never even met, like your distant cousin Johnny who went wild up in Alaska. We also use cousin to describe a kind of family resemblance between things, like the way barbecue sauce is the cousin of ketchup.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cousin Cousin cousins

He rushed out of his house in shorts and slippers, calling his cousin on the way to come help.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

His friend and a cousin carried in two fence rails said to have been split from logs by Lincoln, and he became the “Rail Splitter”—“a living symbol of frontier democracy,” as Mr. Earle puts it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

“He was also a cherished son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend whose love, strength, and kindness touched countless lives,” the GoFundMe post said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Jarunee Phosawad came from Roi Et in eastern Thailand to oversee the cremation of her cousin Kochaporn Sotharat's body and the return home of her ashes.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

In the second, E stood with a cousin.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cousin Island provided an ideal natural setting for this long-term study.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 13, 2026

“Pre-Thanksgiving-Dinner Cousin Walk,” one Instagram ad for Jif peanut butter read last year over a picture of a guy holding open his jacket with a Jif squeeze pouch tucked inside.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

"Cousin marriage is an important cultural practice in many parts of the world, and legislation should be sensitive to the social and familial values that underlie it."

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2025

Cousin Yasmeen Elagha, a law student at Northwestern University, said Israeli forces entered the family home in the communityof al-Muwasi, near the southern city of Khan Younis, around 5 a.m.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

Cousin Eunice wasn’t perfect, and she wasn't Momma, but they could work things out with Cousin Eunice.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

I don’t even remember any of us ever owning a soccer ball — and I have nearly 100 cousins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

She still urges friends and cousins to apply for MTA jobs because of the benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

But it all started from a young age where she would carry records in carrier bags to her aunt's house to play with her cousins.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

But he had uncles, aunts and cousins who lived in a much fancier part of the city.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Uncles, aunties, cousins, other grandmas, other grandpas, his mom, and Jason shared stories and pictures of Grandma in the Nazlini Chapter House after the interment.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• relative