kinsman
Americannoun
-
kinsmen
plural
-
a blood relative, especially a male.
-
a relative by marriage.
-
a person of the same nationality or ethnic group.
noun
-
a blood relation or a relation by marriage
-
a member of the same race, tribe, or ethnic stock
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing kinsman
Twelfth Night
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Merchant of Venice
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yet the formidable English army of kinsman Malcolm, rightful heir to murdered King Duncan, approached Dunsinane using branches from Birnam Wood as camouflage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
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
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
He bowed his head for his dead kinsman.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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
The many characters in “The Books of Jacob” allow for describing Jacob Frank through the words of others, both his enemies and kinsmen.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 15, 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
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
On a number of occasions, tribesmen and kinsmen from the Transkei visited me in Orlando to complain about chiefs collaborating with the government.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
