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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

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 Emmy-winning “Cousin Liz” episode of “All in the Family,” she played the lesbian partner of Edith’s late cousin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Ramesh Bishnoi, a cousin, said “it has become fashionable to use Lawrence as a symbol of fear and blame him for all these nefarious activities.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

"Lilly is the most beautiful, kind and caring little girl we had the privilege to call our daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend," they added.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

“It was a cousin and it was a mercy,” said Tante Bep.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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

Cousin Zed threw his arm around the still-reeling Joey.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

As the youngest in her family, her siblings and cousins told her about their experience, making friends on the dance floor and the huge photo dumps on Facebook.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

FX released on Tuesday a surprise flashback episode of ‘The Bear,’ written by Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who star as cousins Mikey and Richie on a road trip to Gary, Ind.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Both homes have several bedrooms, allowing his father and cousins from Brazil to join, and the kitchens will help save on eating out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Mr. Vita was in Connecticut, visiting his cousins.

From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• relative