kinship

noun

kin·​ship ˈkin-ˌship 

: the quality or state of being kin : relationship

Synonyms of kinship

• relationship
• connection
• association
• affinity
• correlation

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

Colman Domingo has often felt kinship with Old Hollywood movie stars like Clark Gable and Bette Davis. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026

Fortune reviewed thousands of text messages exchanged between Garg and Lewis over 13 months that show how quickly the kinship between a founder and an investor who wanted to coach him pivoted into open hostility. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

Stolen and enslaved Indigenous people formed new networks of kinship; learned new skills and languages; retained memories of family, kin, and rituals; and, through it all, continually plotted to return home. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Carrington in particular models what some have termed an ecofeminist approach, one that does not appropriate animals for the artist’s own self-revelation but instead develops kinship across species. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see kin entry 1

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kinship

• airship
• airstrip
• clerkship
• courtship
• equip
• filmstrip
• flagship
• headship
• heirship
• judgeship
• lightship
• midship

Kids Definition

kinship

noun

kin·​ship ˈkin-ˌship 

: the quality or state of being kin : relationship