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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

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

Lowe is the brother of “St. Elmo’s Fire” actor Rob Lowe, whose youngest son paid tribute to his late cousin after her death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

How could it be that the elf in a button-down shirt now looked like someone’s cool bisexual cousin!

From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2026

She was briefly proclaimed England’s ruler in 1553, following the death of her cousin Edward VI, who had named Jane as his heir.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

"Elisha was our beloved daughter, wife, mother, sister, auntie, niece and cousin," they said.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Instead, I’m sitting in the passenger seat of my sister Celia’s car, waiting for our cousin Avery to come outside.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Lead lecturer Hugo Cousin, 25, says the course is designed to bridge the gap between a hobby and a professional career.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Cousin Island provided an ideal natural setting for this long-term study.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 13, 2026

Cousin Jake is a bit faster in the open field and a bit less interested in the mac ‘n’ cheese in the kitchen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025

Tester spokesperson Eli Cousin said the lawmaker was still reviewing the administration’s proposal.

From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2024

Cousin Eunice’s letter would have explained about Momma.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

But jet fuel and diesel are the kissing cousins of the energy world, both coming from the same middle-distillate group at the refining stage.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

In stark contrast, since their introduction from North America in the 19th Century, greys have thrived at the expense of their distant cousins, which compete for habitats and carry lethal viruses.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Those people included cousins, friends and former clients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Their small apartment filled quickly with my father’s siblings—my aunts and uncles—and their children, my cousins.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

Sounds of laughter came from the parlor as the cousins and their parents listened to one of the radio shows, and Ophie’s heart burned with the injustice of it all.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• relative