first cousin

American  

noun

• first cousins
  plural

1. cousin.

2. anything or anyone closely related to or resembling another.

   The film producer tried not to make the movie a first cousin to his last hit.

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first cousin Idioms  

1. A close relation or resemblance to someone or something, as in This new machine is a first cousin to the previous model. The figurative use of cousin, which literally means “the child of one's aunt or uncle,” dates from the 1300s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• first cousins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of first cousin

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first cousin

Most of the dollars involved a Canadian manufacturer of men’s suits, Peerless Clothing, which was led, after my father’s death, by his first cousin Alvin Segal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The second carriage included the Duke of Gloucester, first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II, and his wife, the Duchess of Gloucester.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

It wasn’t the first time that Huang had snubbed Su, who is also his first cousin, once removed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

Mixing humor with personal anecdotes in his remarks, Chesney joked that he was country singer Kenny Chesney’s first cousin and that the other Chesney would be at every game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

And mother rabbits would tell their kittens that if they did not do as they were told, the General would get them—the General who was first cousin to the Black Rabbit himself.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams