kindred

American  

[kin-drid] / ˈkɪn drɪd /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

• kindreds
  plural

1. a person's relatives collectively; kinfolk; kin.

2. a group of persons related to another; family, tribe, or clan.

3. relationship by birth or descent, or sometimes by marriage; kinship.

4. resemblance or connection; affinity.

   spiritual kindred.

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adjective

1. associated by origin, nature, qualities, etc..

   kindred languages.

2. having the same belief, attitude, or feeling.

   We are kindred spirits on the issue of gun control.

3. related by birth or descent; having kinship.

   kindred tribes.

4. belonging to kin or relatives.

   kindred blood.

kindred British  

/ ˈkɪndrɪd /

adjective

1. having similar or common qualities, origin, etc

2. related by blood or marriage

3. a person with whom one has something in common

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noun

1. relationship by blood

2. similarity in character

3. a person's relatives collectively

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• kindredness
  noun
• kindredship
  noun
• kindredless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kindreds
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of kindred

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, variant (with epenthetic d ) of kinrede; see kin, -red

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Explanation

Your kindred are your people. If you say are going to visit your kindred during the holidays, that means you are going to visit your relatives. The word kindred can be used as either an adjective or a noun. The noun version is somewhat archaic — you are more likely to encounter this word in classic literature than in casual conversation. You may be more familiar with the adjective version of the word, which has gained popular usage in the term “kindred spirit” or “kindred soul,” which is used to describe those who share similar attitudes, characteristics, or beliefs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kindred kindreds

Mr. Harris tactfully omits mention of the 30-plus-year age gap between Ms. Underwood and the 79-year-old comedian, suggesting instead that the couple are kindred spirits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

She failed to find a kindred spirit in Dudevant, whom Ms. Sampson archly describes as a man of “no particular brilliance.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Unlike Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, or Hope and Crosby, who relied on tightly scripted setups, this disparate yet kindred duo captured America’s heart by being viscerally, uproariously and unpredictably wild.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

He also raved about chicken fried steak, posting on X: “Every Scottish person in America needs to immediately try Chicken Fried Steak, and you’ll realise we and the Americans are kindred spirits.”

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

‘You have the keen eyes of your fair kindred, Legolas,’ he said; ‘and they can tell a sparrow from a finch a league off. Tell me, can you see anything away yonder towards Isengard?’

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Come with me as I follow this host of real-deal Dallas kindreds.

From Southern Living ● Sep. 16, 2010

Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

From Time Magazine Archive

Never again shall there be any such league of Elves and Men; for Men multiply and the Firstborn decrease, and the two kindreds are estranged.

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

Each clan was more numerous in some towns than in others, as it was natural that near kindreds should cluster together.

From The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations by Zelia Nuttall

Yes, Isaac, the child of promise; Isaac, the object of long-deferred hope, the object of parental love, and the one in whom all the kindreds of the earth were to be blessed.

From Notes on the Book of Genesis by Charles Henry Mackintosh

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