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.
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
They are hoping to build credibility and coolness among younger consumers through partnerships with retailers such as streetwear chain Kith, which caters more to young men.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
“That’s why Kith was such a big deal for us,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2024
A desire for quick turnaround times played into the company’s decision to run its store through Shopify, whose technology supports an array of vendors including Allbirds, Kith, The New York Times and Kim Kardashian’s Skims.
From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2021
Kith and kin may stab us, but never the loyal friend.
From Half a Rogue by MacGrath, Harold
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.
