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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, 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

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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

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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 was tempted to sell a painting to Camille Pissarro’s cousin, even though Monet had already offered it to someone else.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

“This is not just a car with a significant race history,” Sytner’s cousin Jeremy Jackson-Sytner, an event organizer known as Mr. Concours, says to the camera.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Labrador's cousin has also been caught up in the dragnet of ICE detentions.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

In old Hollywood’s thinking, television was cinema’s inferior cousin.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

I then give my cousin the all-important job of decorating Pierre’s home.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

The research focused on the Seychelles warbler, a small songbird that lives on Cousin Island in the Seychelles.

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, Helen Moran, spoke on behalf of Mr Henderson's parents and thanked the hundreds of people who gathered to pay their respects at Truro Cathedral.

From BBC ● May 22, 2024

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

Yes, the president and Mrs. Lincoln would attend this evening’s performance of the popular if silly comedy Our American Cousin.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Prof Barker said: "It is fascinating to have evidence for both compassion and violence amongst Neanderthals, our closest evolutionary cousins, embodied in this one individual."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

The cousins started the company with no formal baking experience, instead using data-driven testing to develop successful recipes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

"I have young cousins, including babies, who are coughing too. It's really taking a toll on them."

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

The company selling you the annuity and the company making the loan are often cousins.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

You’ve always liked how thank you in Mvskoke and Tsalagi sound similar, like the words are cousins.

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

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Related Words

• relative

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