kinship

noun

kin·​ship ˈkin-ˌship How to pronounce kinship (audio)
Synonyms of kinship
: the quality or state of being kin : relationship

Synonyms of kinship

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Examples of kinship in a Sentence

He feels a strong kinship with other survivors of the war. feelings of kinship between the team's players and their fans
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.
Offering food is one of the most basic forms of kinship known and is often conflated with love. — Will Boyd, Baltimore Sun, 17 Oct. 2026 India remains a doggedly unequal society in which money, kinship, and power distort almost all institutions. — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 Kyla and Ella met in Brighton in 2018 and immediately felt a profound kinship with each other. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Others worry about the toll on Yemenis, our poorer neighbors, who make up the kingdom’s largest foreign community and share ties of kinship and history with Saudis. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kinship

Word History

Etymology

see kin entry 1

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kinship was in 1833

Rhymes for kinship

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Browse Nearby Words

Kinshasa
kinship
kinship system
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

kinship

noun
kin·​ship ˈkin-ˌship How to pronounce kinship (audio)
: the quality or state of being kin : relationship

More from Merriam-Webster on kinship

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kinship

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