What does consanguine mean?
Consanguine describes people who are related by blood — that is, who descend from a shared ancestor. The word comes from Latin, combining 'com-' (together) and 'sanguis' (blood), so it literally means 'of the same blood'. It appears mainly in formal contexts such as law, anthropology, and genealogy: an inheritance may pass to consanguine relatives rather than to a spouse's children from another marriage, for instance, and anthropologists use the term when discussing kinship systems and families formed through marriage between blood relations. Its more common sibling form is 'consanguineous', which carries the same meaning and is often preferred in modern usage; the noun 'consanguinity' refers to the state of being blood-related, and also to the degree of such relationship. Because it sounds similar to 'sanguine', meaning optimistic, the two are sometimes confused, though they share only their root in the Latin word for blood.
adjectiveRelated by blood; descended from the same ancestor as another person.
- (of people) related by blood; descended from a common ancestor
"The inheritance dispute was settled in favour of the deceased's consanguine relatives rather than her stepchildren."
"Under the old succession law, only consanguine kin could claim a share of the estate."
"Anthropologists studied how consanguine ties shaped village alliances across generations."
From the same Latin root that gave us 'sanguine' — but where a sanguine friend keeps you cheerful, your consanguine relatives are simply the ones who share your blood.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consanguine
Consanguine derives from the Latin 'consanguineus', formed from 'con-' ('together, with') and 'sanguis' ('blood'), literally meaning 'of one blood'. It entered English via Old French in late Middle English, with its earliest attested uses generally placed around the fifteenth century. It belongs to the same word family as 'sanguine', 'consanguineous', and 'consanguinity', all tracing back to that single Latin root for blood.
Related word forms
How consanguine is actually used
Formal and technical register, used chiefly in legal, anthropological, and genealogical writing. In everyday contexts 'related by blood' or 'blood relative' is more natural; 'consanguineous' is the more common form of the adjective.
Easily confused with consanguine
'Sanguine' means optimistic or cheerful (or reddish in colour), while 'consanguine' means related by blood.