consanguineous

adjective

con·​san·​guin·​e·​ous ˌkän-ˌsan-ˈgwi-nē-əs How to pronounce consanguineous (audio)
-ˌsaŋ-
: of the same blood or origin
specifically : descended from the same ancestor
consanguineous brothers
consanguineously adverb

Did you know?

Consanguineous is part of a family of "blood" relatives that all descend from the Latin noun sanguis, meaning "blood." Some of these relatives are found on the literal branch of the family tree, as "exsanguination," a term for the draining or removal of blood. Others are on the figurative side of the family, such as "sanguine," a word that can mean "bloodred" or "ruddy" but that is more often used with the meaning "cheerful" or "optimistic." There is also "sangfroid," a French word (literally meaning "cold blood") that was borrowed into English to refer to self-control under stress. "Consanguineous" relies on the "kinship" sense of "blood," bringing together "sanguis" with the Latin prefix con-, meaning "with," to form a word used to describe two or more organisms that descend from the same ancestor.

Examples of consanguineous in a Sentence

felt just as close to his adopted brother as he did to his two consanguineous siblings
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.
The downsides of inbreeding are to some extent intuitively understood by all, especially consanguineous relations between first order relatives. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2013 One way to tackle the problem of genetic diseases which emerge out of consanguineous unions apparently isn't to discourage the unions themselves, but dodge the outcomes. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 25 Aug. 2010 First, the Middle East has long been, and is still now, a region characterized by consanguineous marriages which likely increases genetic distance over short spatial scales. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2013

Word History

Etymology

Latin consanguineus, from com- + sanguin-, sanguis blood

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of consanguineous was in 1601

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Dictionary Entries Near consanguineous

Cite this Entry

“Consanguineous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consanguineous. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

consanguineous

adjective
con·​san·​guin·​e·​ous ˌkän-ˌsan-ˈgwin-ē-əs, -ˌsaŋ- How to pronounce consanguineous (audio)
: of the same blood or origin
specifically : relating to or involving persons (as first cousins) that are relatively closely related
consanguineous marriages
consanguinity noun
plural consanguinities

Legal Definition

consanguineous

adjective
con·​san·​guin·​e·​ous ˌkän-ˌsan-ˈgwi-nē-əs, -ˌsaŋ- How to pronounce consanguineous (audio)
: of the same blood or origin
specifically : descended from the same ancestor
consanguineously adverb
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