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.
Reczek and Bosley-Smith read the return partly as evidence of compulsory kinship’s durability, and the evidence supports them. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 There’s an immediate kinship – not friendship yet, but the stage just before. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026 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 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 14 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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