cousin

noun

cous·​in ˈkə-zən How to pronounce cousin (audio)
1
a
: a child of one's uncle or aunt
b
: a relative descended from one's grandparent or more remote ancestor by two or more steps and in a different line
c
: kinsman, relative
a distant cousin
2
: one associated with or related to another : counterpart
Rural children deserve as good an education as their city cousins get.Benjamin Fine
3
used as a title by a sovereign in addressing a nobleman
4
: a member of a group regarded as ethnically or culturally related
our English cousins
cousinhood noun
cousinly adjective
cousinship noun

Examples of cousin in a Sentence

Everyone came to the wedding, including a distant cousin no one had heard from in years. The cricket is a cousin of the grasshopper. hurricanes and their cousins, typhoons
Recent Examples on the Web Today, owner Chris, his son Peyton and a slew of cousins, siblings and in-laws keep the dream alive and sizzling. Lillian Parker, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024 Feel to bring the whole family — aunts, uncles, and cousins included. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2024 He's also been spotted making silly faces at his mom, acting cheeky with his siblings and cousins and having the most relatable reaction to tasting a s'more. Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024 By the time of the trial, Thompson, Mizell’s cousin, had long suspected Washington’s involvement in the murder. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024 Tamarind reminds me of the sense of security and warmth that my family was lucky to be afforded, the delight of growing up with dozens of cousins, and the sense of belonging that only a large family living in an orchard can provide. Madhur Jaffrey, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024 Its chemical cousins delta-8 is already here — and making some people sick. John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination | Amy Yurkanin, Al.com, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024 Seeing him in such unrelenting despair, Mokdad's cousin came to him with an idea. Ari Shapiro, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024 The car was later traced to Middletown, where it was being driven by Jones’ cousin. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cousin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cosin, from Anglo-French cusin, cosin, from Latin consobrinus, from com- + sobrinus second cousin, from soror sister — more at sister

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cousin was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cousin

Cite this Entry

“Cousin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cousin. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

cousin

noun
cous·​in ˈkəz-ᵊn How to pronounce cousin (audio)
1
a
: a child of one's uncle or aunt
b
: a relative descended from a common ancestor
2
: a person of a race or people ethnically or culturally related
our English cousins

Biographical Definition

Cousin

biographical name

Cou·​sin kü-ˈzaⁿ How to pronounce Cousin (audio)
Victor 1792–1867 French philosopher

More from Merriam-Webster on cousin

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