kinsman

American  

[kinz-muhn] / ˈkɪnz mən /

noun

kinsmen plural

1. a blood relative, especially a male.

2. a relative by marriage.

3. a person of the same nationality or ethnic group.

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kinsman British  

/ ˈkɪnzmən /

noun

1. a blood relation or a relation by marriage

2. a member of the same race, tribe, or ethnic stock

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• kinswoman
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kinsmen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kinsman

First recorded in 1100–50, kinsman is from late Old English cinnes man. See kin, 's ¹, man

Explanation

Your kinsman is your family member — someone who's related to you. Even if you don't know your second cousin very well, he's still your kinsman. The noun kinsman can refer to any blood relation or ancestor, especially those who are male. You can also use kinswoman to talk about female relatives. The word is a formal one that you might come across in an anthropology textbook or a family history: "The first kinsman to leave England came on the Mayflower." Kinsman comes in part from kin, with its Old English root cynn, or "family."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kinsman kinsmen

De la Espriella’s ideological kinsman, Argentine President Javier Milei, is pushing for more oil output, focusing on his country’s massive Vaca Muerta shale deposit.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

But you here, whom nature made the wisest of all people, should drop your anger and make everyone who fights alongside us at sea a kinsman, a citizen.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

But the boy survived, recovered from his wounds, and with a small company headed for Russia, traveled up the Neva River to Lake Ladoga and then on to Kiev, where his kinsman Prince Yaroslav ruled.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 21, 2021

Egil said: ”Tis but my bounden duty, lady, for the sake of Arinbjorn thy kinsman that I go, if Fridgeir thinks this any help to him.’

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2019

‘I am an Elf and a kinsman here,’ said Legolas, becoming angry in his turn.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

They then decided to make distinctive marks on their cheeks, "akin to the ones their animals had, which would help them in identifying their kinsmen during battles", Mr Makkuwana says.

From BBC ● May 20, 2022

After the women had said goodbye, his kinsmen carried out Hussein’s body and placed it in a van.

From New York Times ● Aug. 27, 2021

Conte announced that starting May 4, people in Italy will be permitted to travel within their home regions for visits with “congiunti,” a formal Italian word that can mean either relatives, relations or kinsmen.

From Washington Times ● May 1, 2020

She inquired about Arinbjorn, her brother, and other of her kinsmen and friends who had gone to England with Arinbjorn.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2019

He had been carried home in silence and lay now behind locked doors, with his living kinsmen, who sat, weeping, and praying, and dreaming of vengeance, and waiting for the next visitation.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin