cousin

IPA/ˈkʌzn/
KK[kˈʌzən]IPA/ˈkʌzn/

cousin — noun

  • cousinsingular
  • cousinsplural

1. a relative whose parent is the brother or sister of one of your parents; the wor

1.nounA1
Definition

a relative whose parent is the brother or sister of one of your parents; the word can also refer to any more distant family member connected through a shared earlier ancestor

Example

Bao spent the whole summer holiday visiting his cousins in the countryside.

possessive determiner + cousins: his cousins

Reema and Mira are cousins whose mothers are sisters.

Common collocations
  • first cousin
  • second cousin
  • distant cousin
  • close cousin
  • long-lost cousin
  • cousin once removed
Synonyms
  • relative

    broader term that includes any family member connected by blood or marriage

  • relation

    less formal than relative, commonly used in everyday British English

  • kinsman

    very formal and dated, rarely used in modern speech

Usage Note

English distinguishes 'first cousin' (child of your aunt or uncle), 'second cousin' (child of your parent's cousin), and 'once removed' (one generation apart). The word cousin alone most often means a first cousin.

Common Mistakes

My cousin brother is a doctor.
My cousin is a doctor.
In English, cousin already includes the relationship; do not add brother, sister, or sibling after it.

2. a country, population, or cultural group that shares a common background, herita

2.nounB2
Definition

a country, population, or cultural group that shares a common background, heritage, or ethnic roots with another similar group

Example

The Scandinavian languages are linguistic cousins that share a common Germanic root.

linguistic / cultural / evolutionary + cousins

Anthropologists study chimpanzees as our closest living cousins in the animal world.

Common collocations
  • closest cousin
  • distant cousin
  • linguistic cousin
  • cultural cousin
  • evolutionary cousin
Synonyms
  • counterpart

    emphasizes equivalent role or function rather than shared origin

  • kin

    more literary and narrower; usually refers to blood relatives, not cultural groups

Usage Note

In this sense the noun is almost always plural and requires an adjective or possessive modifier that specifies the type of connection (linguistic cousins, cultural cousins, our closest cousins).

3. an object, living thing, or concept that resembles or is connected to another th

3.nounC1
Definition

an object, living thing, or concept that resembles or is connected to another thing in form, structure, function, or origin

Example

The electric scooter is a smaller, quieter cousin of the motorcycle.

adjective + cousin + of: smaller cousin of [something]

Cauliflower and broccoli are botanical cousins that belong to the same species.

Common collocations
  • close cousin
  • distant cousin
  • modern cousin
  • smaller cousin
  • dangerous cousin
Synonyms
  • counterpart

    suggests an equivalent in a different system or context, with less implication of shared origin

  • relative

    works for objects in a category but sounds less precise in technical contexts

  • analogue

    more formal, used in scientific or technical writing for things with parallel function

Usage Note

This sense is typically used with a preceding adjective (smaller, dangerous, modern, close, distant) followed by of + [the thing it resembles]. It is common in journalism, science writing, and product reviews.

Word family

  • cousinly
    adjectiveC2
  • first cousin
    nounB1
  • second cousin
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people connected by blood or marriage, but they differ in scope and register. Relative is the broadest and most neutral term — it covers anyone in your family tree, from a parent to a distant second cousin twice removed. Relation is very similar but sounds slightly more informal; British speakers often say 'my relations' where Americans prefer 'my relatives.' Kin is more literary and narrower in focus, usually referring to immediate or close family members ('next of kin' is a fixed legal phrase). Kinsman is formal and noticeably dated — you will encounter it in historical writing and the Bible but almost never in conversation. For everyday use, cousin is the right choice when you mean a specific type of relative; relative or relation work when the exact connection does not matter.

relativerelationkinkinsman

Common collocations

Phrases

  • distant cousin
  • close cousin
  • first cousin
  • second cousin
  • cousin once removed

Prepositions

  • cousin of [someone/something]
  • cousin to [someone/something]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Cousin entered English through Old French 'cosin' (later 'cousin'), which came from Latin 'consobrinus' — originally meaning the child of one's mother's sister. The Latin word is built from 'com-' (together) and 'soror' (sister), reflecting how the term first described the children of sisters. Over centuries its meaning widened to include children of aunts and uncles on both sides of the family, and later any relative beyond the immediate family.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a