Kinship
'kɪnʃɪp
Definitions
The state of being related to others; the relationship between people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
'kɪnʃɪp
The state of being related to others; family relationship.
They felt a strong sense of kinship with the other members of their community.
💡 Simply: Kinship is like the family connection you have with your relatives. It's the bond that ties you to your parents, siblings, cousins, etc. Think of your family tree and how all those branches are connected.
👶 For kids: Kinship means being part of a family. Like, if you're brothers and sisters, you have kinship!
More Examples
Kinship ties were essential in the survival of early human societies.
The concept of kinship differs significantly across different cultures and societies.
How It's Used
"Anthropologists study different kinship systems across cultures."
"Kinship plays a crucial role in understanding social structures and inheritance."
Idioms & expressions
blood is thicker than water
Family relationships are stronger and more important than other relationships.
"Even though they had disagreements, in the end, blood is thicker than water."
From Middle English *kinneshipe, from kin + -ship. Kin ultimately comes from Proto-Germanic *kunizą meaning 'family, race'. The suffix -ship derives from Old English -sciepe, indicating state, condition, or quality.
The term kinship has been used in various academic fields, especially anthropology, sociology, and history, to analyze family structures and social organizations throughout history.