What does kinsman mean?
A kinsman is a male relative, whether related by blood, marriage, or family connection. The word belongs to a vocabulary that emphasizes a person’s place within a kin group, so it can suggest not merely a family relationship but also the obligations, loyalties, and status traditionally associated with kinship. In ordinary conversation, relative is the usual and more neutral term, while kinsman is more formal, literary, or traditional, appearing especially in legal, historical, ceremonial, and religious contexts. It may also be used figuratively to emphasize closeness, though such usage is less common. The word is explicitly gendered and is paired with kinswoman, its female equivalent. Its compound structure combines the Old English word kin, meaning family or kinship, with man, making its meaning transparent to modern speakers.
nounA male relative by blood or marriage; a male member of a family or kinship group.
- A male relative by blood or marriage.
"She was regarded as a kinsman of the family because of her marriage to their eldest son."
"Every kinsman in the family received an invitation to the ceremony."
"The old legal document described the defendant as the kinsman of the deceased."
The plural is kinsmen, not kinsmans.
"The kinsmen gathered at the family home for the celebration."
Kinsman is an explicitly gendered word for a relative, making the “man” in its compound structure part of its everyday meaning.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kinsman come from?
Kinsman combines kin, from Old English cynn meaning family, kindred, or kinship, with man. The compound developed in Middle English and originally referred to a male member of one’s family or kinship group. Related English words include kinship, kindred, and kinfolk, all reflecting the same ancient root.
How kinsman is actually used
Kinsman is traditional and somewhat formal today; relative is much more common in everyday English. It is chiefly used when a male relative is being identified specifically, while kinswoman is the corresponding term for a female relative.