noun
kinship
KIHN-shihp
noun
1
The connection between people through blood, marriage, or adoption.
"The tribe's social structure is built entirely around kinship ties."
"She traced her kinship with the family back three generations."
2
A strong sense of closeness or shared identity with someone, even without a family connection.
"The two veterans felt an instant kinship after realizing they'd served in the same unit."
How to Use Kinship
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBeing related to someone, or feeling a close bond with them as if you were.
Common pairings
a sense of kinship
ties of kinship
kinship network
Word Forms
kinships plural
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The tribe's social structure is built entirely around _____ ties.
Etymology
From kin + -ship, the same suffix that turns "friend" into "friendship."