cousin

noun

cous·​in ˈkə-zən How to pronounce cousin (audio)
Synonyms of cousinnext
1
a
: a child of one's uncle or aunt
b
: a relative descended from one's grandparent or more remote ancestor by two or more steps and in a different line
c
: kinsman, relative
a distant cousin
2
: one associated with or related to another : counterpart
Rural children deserve as good an education as their city cousins get.—Benjamin Fine
3
—used as a title by a sovereign in addressing a nobleman
4
: a member of a group regarded as ethnically or culturally related
our English cousins
cousinhood
ˈkə-zən-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce cousin (audio)
noun
cousinly adjective
cousinship
ˈkə-zən-ˌship How to pronounce cousin (audio)
noun

Synonyms of cousin

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Examples of cousin in a Sentence

Everyone came to the wedding, including a distant cousin no one had heard from in years. The cricket is a cousin of the grasshopper. hurricanes and their cousins, typhoons
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Perfect Road, a documentary from Danish directors and cousins Adam and Christian Bonke, follows him on an extreme journey through some of Europe’s highest mountain passes, while also providing a meditation on modern life and character study. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026 Composed of the Hernández brothers (Jorge, Hernán, Eduardo and Luis) and cousin Óscar Lara, Los Tigres Del Norte was founded in the late 1960s in the Sinaloan town of Rosa Morada and settled in San José. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Araiza’s fiance, Layla Murray, has been posting photos and videos of her trip to Cairo for her cousin’s wedding there. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 The cousin was thankful, but the Rev got the message that the family didn’t need financial help. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cousin

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cosin, from Anglo-French cusin, cosin, from Latin consobrinus, from com- + sobrinus second cousin, from soror sister — more at sister

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cousin was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing cousin

Rhymes for cousin

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Browse Nearby Words

cousen
cousin
Cousin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cousin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cousin. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cousin

noun
cous·​in ˈkəz-ᵊn How to pronounce cousin (audio)
1
a
: a child of one's uncle or aunt
b
: a relative descended from a common ancestor
2
: a member of a group regarded as ethnically or culturally related
our English cousins

Biographical Definition

Cousin

biographical name

Cou·​sin kü-ˈzaⁿ How to pronounce Cousin (audio)
Victor 1792–1867 French philosopher

More from Merriam-Webster on cousin

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cousin

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