kin

¹ American  

[kin] / kɪn /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a person's relatives collectively; kinfolk.

2. family relationship or kinship.

3. a group of persons descended from a common ancestor or constituting a people, clan, tribe, or family.

4. a relative or kinsman.

5. someone or something of the same or similar kind.

   philosophy and its kin, theology.

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adjective

1. of the same family; related; akin.

2. of the same kind or nature; having affinity.

idioms

1. of kin, of the same family; related; akin.

   Although their surnames are identical they are not of kin.

-kin ² American  

1. a diminutive suffix of nouns.

   lambkin.

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kin ¹ British  

/ kɪn /

noun

1. a person's relatives collectively; kindred

2. a class or group with similar characteristics

3. See next of kin

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adjective

1. (postpositive) related by blood

2. a less common word for akin

-kin ² British  

suffix

1. small

   lambkin

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kin More Idioms  

1. see kith and kin.

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Usage

What does -kin mean? The suffix -kin is used as a diminutive. In other words, it denotes that something is "little," either literally or figuratively. It is very occasionally used in a variety of informal and everyday terms.The form -kin comes from Middle English. Similar diminutives in English include -en (as in kitten) and -y (as in baby). Check out our entries for both suffixes to learn how frequently they appear.

Other Word Forms

• kinless adjective

Etymology

Origin of kin¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cyn; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German kunni, Old Norse kyn, Gothic kuni; akin to Latin genus, Greek génos, Sanskrit jánas; gender ¹.

Origin of -kin²

Middle English < Middle Dutch, Middle Low German -ken; cognate with German -chen

Example Sentences

I left there that night thinking that even my Newsom kin, the ones who had my best interests at heart, could get it wrong from time to time.

From Los Angeles Times

The names of the those who died were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

From Los Angeles Times

Formal identification of the man who died has not yet taken place and the police said efforts were ongoing to trace his next of kin.

From BBC

"It is unacceptable that fellow Kenyans in Mandera remain cut off from their kin and neighbours in Somalia due to the prolonged closure of the Mandera Border Post," Ruto posted on X.

From BBC

Llewelyn ran in front of them, shouting, “Run to freedom, my kin!”

From Literature