What does kinship mean?
Kinship means the relationship that exists between members of a family, including the ties created by blood, marriage, adoption, or shared family history. It is often used in a broader sense to describe a connection based on shared origins, interests, or experiences, as when people say that a close group has a strong sense of kinship. The word is especially important in anthropology, history, law, and genealogy, where it helps describe how families and communities are organized. In everyday conversation, it usually suggests solidarity, loyalty, and mutual responsibility. Although the basic meaning concerns family relationships, modern usage can extend the concept to chosen communities and other enduring social bonds, making kinship a useful term for both precise discussion and expressive writing.
The relationship between people who are members of the same family, especially when regarded as a social, cultural, or legal bond.
"The witnesses were asked to explain their kinship to the applicant."
In anthropology, sociology, and genealogy, the term often refers specifically to systems of relationship and descent.
A shared relationship or connection based on common origin, experience, or affiliation.
"Their shared experiences created a kinship that transcended national differences."
This extended sense is common in figurative and political contexts, where it emphasizes solidarity and mutual identification.
The plural is grammatically regular but less common in ordinary use than the singular.
"The study compares the kinships formed by marriage, adoption, and descent."
Kinship is more than a family tree: it describes the web of obligations, histories, and identities that connect relatives.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kinship come from?
Kinship combines the word “kin,” meaning family or relatives, with the suffix “-ship,” which forms nouns indicating a relationship, state, or condition. “Kin” comes from Old English cynn, meaning family, kindred, or offspring, and is cognate with related Germanic forms such as Old Norse kyn. The compound is therefore grounded in the longstanding English language of family descent and connection.
Related word forms
How kinship is actually used
The word is common in both formal and informal contexts. In anthropology and social science, it is especially frequent in discussions of family structures, descent, and social organization.