kinship

noun

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

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.
As DeLa describes it, it’s been a cosmic kinship ever since. Evan Ross Katz, Them., 4 Sep. 2025 Those deeds, however, are based on kinship ties, posing a problem for 38-year-old Star (Sarah Karei), an unmarried woman whose parentage is unknown. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025 Macedonian writer-director Teona Strugar Mitevska (The Happiest Man in the World) clearly feels a kinship with her countrywoman. Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025 And there’s a kinship between modern medicine’s aim to ascribe psychiatric disorders to a handful of chemicals in our brains and the medical catchall of the four-humors framework of centuries past. Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kinship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kinship. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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