cousin

noun

ˈkə-zən How to pronounce cousin (audio)
Definition of cousinnext
as in relative
a person connected with another by blood or marriage we both were surprised to learn that we are distant cousins

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cousin Her cousin, 17-year-old Subba Tamang, lost his two little sisters, one-year-old Anjana and five-year-old Archana. — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 This is a prospect that particularly delights Lady Eliza Spencer, Princess Diana’s niece and Prince Harry’s cousin. — Mathilde Engelmann, Vanity Fair, 29 Aug. 2026 Harry has maintained close ties to his mother’s family throughout all his drama with the British royal family, recently spending time with his uncle Charles Spencer, his wife, and several cousins during his visit to the UK. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 28 Aug. 2026 Unlike alligators, their more common cousins, American crocodiles are federally and state protected because their populations in Florida are still rebounding after being almost completely wiped out by the 1970s. — David Goodhue august 27, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cousin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cousin
  1. relative
  2. relation
  3. family
  4. kin
  5. kinsman
Noun
  • The documentary relies on interviews with Mica’s relatives, friends, former Solid Rock Church members and divorce attorney, the streaming platform said.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • As families wait for news about their relatives, damaged roads, power outages and fears of further flooding have hampered rescue efforts.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of relative
Noun
  • Israel has seen its own relations with Turkey deteriorate during Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The expansion of the Pell grants to short-term programs has been a decade in the making, said Jim Hermes, associate vice president of government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of relation
Noun
  • In our efforts to reciprocate with some updates about our family, the wife would interject within a sentence or two of our contribution to hijack the conversation back to talking about her family.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The role of companies Singapore’s new scheme shifts from merely encouraging births to focus on family well-being over the long term, which might help change how potential parents think about children.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • In Mexican cooking, those moorings are salsa, moles and their kin.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In a news release Thursday, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office detailed its efforts to identify and find kin for a man found floating in a portion of the lengthy creek that goes through Metcalf Park on June 14, 1997.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of kin
Noun
  • Records of public meetings and community newspapers feature jabs at how far these sorry kinsmen have strayed from their heritage.
    — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026
  • As Molineux passes by, Robin recognizes his kinsman and hears the cruel laughter of the mob.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of kinsman

Browse Nearby Words

courtyards
cousin
cousins
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cousin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cousin. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cousin

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cousin

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