Home › Relationships › Friendship & Camaraderie › kinship

kinship

KIN-ship /ˈkɪnʃɪp/

nounB2IELTSUPSC

generalacademicliterary

Blood relationship; sharing of characteristics or origins.

Can refer literally to family ties (genealogy) or metaphorically to a deep, natural affinity and alignment of spirit between two people.

The story behind the word. Kinship comes from the Old English 'cynn', meaning 'family, race, nature, or kind'. Combined with the suffix '-ship' (denoting a state or condition), it originally referred strictly to biological family. Over the centuries, it expanded to describe a deep, natural affinity between people who share the same values, creative spirits, or outlook on life.

Word relationships

affinity: Affinity is a natural liking or attraction, while kinship carries a stronger implication of shared origin, family, or deep structural connection.
lineage: Lineage refers strictly to direct biological descent, whereas kinship can be metaphorical or cultural.

alienation: Alienation is a feeling of isolation or being a stranger, the exact opposite of kinship.

Commonly confused with

relationship: Relationship is a broad term for any connection, while kinship specifically implies family ties or a profound, family-like bond.

Word family

kin (noun): One's family and relations.
kinsman (noun): A male relative.

Collocations

kinship ties
sense of kinship
spiritual kinship
felt kinship

Example sentences

"In many traditional societies, kinship ties dictate social obligations and land ownership." An anthropological study of tribal societies.
"She felt a deep kinship with the young painter, as if they had known each other for lifetimes." A novel about two artists who meet and instantly understand each other.

Memory hook

Your 'kin' are your family; 'kinship' is the warm feeling of being family, even with friends. Kin are family.

When not to use

Do not use to describe a purely contractual or temporary business agreement where no emotional or natural bond exists.

Fun facts

The word 'kind' (as in a kind person) originally meant 'natural' or 'with the feelings of kin'—showing that kindness was once defined as treating others like family.