kith
Americannoun
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acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like; persons living in the same general locality and forming a more or less cohesive group.
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a group of people living in the same area and forming a culture with a common language, customs, economy, etc., usually endogamous.
noun
Etymology
Origin of kith
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cȳth, earlier cȳththu “kinship, knowledge,” equivalent to cūth couth 2 + -thu -th 1; akin to Gothic kunthi, German Kunde “knowledge”
Explanation
Your kith are the people you know very well, but who aren't related to you. If you're asking all of your best friends over for dinner, you can say that you're inviting your kith. It's very rare to see the word kith unless it's accompanied by the word kin, or "relations." The phrase "kith and kin" means "friends and family." If every actor in your local community theater's production of "The Sound of Music" invites his or her kith and kin, the seats will be full on opening night. Kith comes from the Old English cyðð, which means "kinfolk, neighbors," and also "home, knowledge, and acquaintance."
Vocabulary lists containing kith
Beowulf
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Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?
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Strange the Dreamer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Last November, the company, privately owned by the Antoci family, opened its first East Coast “tonic bar” at Manhattan’s new private wellness club Kith Ivy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
The night had attracted some funding from the Kith and Kin social enterprise to keep costs low for those going.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
The price and exclusivity of Kith Ivy aligns with Erewhon’s own high-end reputation.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025
“They were moved to do something because our industry relies on people of color,” said Mr. Onwuachi, who in July left Kith and Kin, the renowned Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Washington, D.C.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2021
The law of feudalism and of the clan writes at the head of its decalogue, "Kith and kin above all."
From The Code of the Mountains by Buck, Charles Neville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
