cousin

noun

cous·​in ˈkə-zən 

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 

noun

cousinly adjective

cousinship

ˈkə-zən-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms of cousin

• relative
• relation
• family
• kin
• kinsman

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

The cousin spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. —Collin Binkley, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025

Anne is stuck in a love triangle between the one who got away, Captain Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) and blunt opportunist (and her distant cousin) William Elliot (Henry Golding), who isn't shy about his attempts to seduce Anne or his intentions to inherit the family fortune. —Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025

Imagine, for instance, believing a cousin’s Instagram video of their vacation to Paris was faked via a seamless AI video generator like Sora. —Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. —Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing cousin

• cater-cousin
• cousin-german
• first cousin
• kissing cousin
• second cousin

Rhymes for cousin

• dozen

Kids Definition

cousin

noun

cous·​in ˈkəz-ᵊn 

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 

Victor 1792–1867 French philosopher