kinsman
Americannoun
-
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
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.
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
Helen is related to the Camerons of Glen Nevis: John Cameron, her great, great, great-grandfather, came to Berbice in the early 1800s and set up a plantation with his kinsman Donald Charles Cameron.
From The Guardian • Apr. 16, 2019
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
“All that’s past. Send my kinsman out to me.”
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
Definitions 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.
