kinship

noun

kin·​ship ˈkin-ˌship How to pronounce kinship (audio)
: the quality or state of being kin : relationship

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.
Firefly is happy to be part of this exploration wave and feels a kinship with the other companies involved, Allensworth said. Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2025 David Lowery takes the few elements that worked—mainly the special kinship between a boy and a dragon—and injects his own unique vision into the proceedings. Barry Levitt, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025 The kinship was so vibrant that Anderson was inspired to alter the original ending of Martin’s stories. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025 Unable to fully process the pangs of rejection, Buck decides to write a play based on their early kinship and enlists the help of Beverly (Lupe Ontiveros) to stage the production at a local community theater in order to win Chuck’s affection. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kinship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kinship. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!