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Synonyms

next of kin

American  

noun

  1. a person's nearest relative or relatives.

    The newspaper did not publish the names of casualties until the next of kin had been notified.

  2. Law. the nearest relative or relatives who share in the estate of a person who dies intestate.

next of kin British  

noun

  1. a person's closest relative or relatives

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of next of kin

First recorded in 1760–70

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.

How does one go about helping a very elderly man who has only me as his next of kin?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

Identities of the deceased service members will be withheld for 24 hours after next of kin is informed.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

A local magistrate ordered that the bodies be handed over to the Iranian embassy in Colombo for repatriation to the next of kin.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

“Notification of next of kin is still pending,” according to the email.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Trotter recognized this appalling possibility, but maintained that there was some moral obligation to inform next of kin when one took to one’s bed.

From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson

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.