kith
Americannoun
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acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like; persons living in the same general locality and forming a more or less cohesive group.
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a group of people living in the same area and forming a culture with a common language, customs, economy, etc., usually endogamous.
noun
Etymology
Origin of kith
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cȳth, earlier cȳththu “kinship, knowledge,” equivalent to cūth couth 2 + -thu -th 1; akin to Gothic kunthi, German Kunde “knowledge”
Explanation
Your kith are the people you know very well, but who aren't related to you. If you're asking all of your best friends over for dinner, you can say that you're inviting your kith. It's very rare to see the word kith unless it's accompanied by the word kin, or "relations." The phrase "kith and kin" means "friends and family." If every actor in your local community theater's production of "The Sound of Music" invites his or her kith and kin, the seats will be full on opening night. Kith comes from the Old English cyðð, which means "kinfolk, neighbors," and also "home, knowledge, and acquaintance."
Vocabulary lists containing kith
Beowulf
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Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?
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Strange the Dreamer
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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.
It was believed that if one killed a crane, its kith and kin would flock to the killer's home, hold vigil and mourn by collectively honking until the person went mad or even died.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2025
Gander residents renewed this rite not out of fear of divine punishment but as an affirmation of civilization, which extends cooperation and reciprocity beyond kith and kin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2021
I'm not saying that poor families didn't use utensils, but the finer points of table manners were a low priority compared to scrounging up enough food to feed kith and kin.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2019
He lived out his family-first devotion, his loyalty to kith and kin.
From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2017
I have neither kith nor kin nor Macushla my dog.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
