kith and kin

plural noun

1. acquaintances and relatives.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kith and kin¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Idioms and Phrases

Friends and family, as in Everyone was invited, kith and kin as well as distant acquaintances. This expression dates from the 1300s and originally meant “countrymen” (kith meant “one's native land”) and “family members.” It gradually took on the present looser sense.