1
2
: one associated with or related to another : counterpart
Rural children deserve as good an education as their city cousins get.—
Benjamin Fine
Benjamin Fine3
—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
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
Her cousin Derek Daigneault, 29, of Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for her murder after an investigation that spanned two states, the DA's office said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
The pasta maker, in full sight of the dining room, is a cousin of the family of owners.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
His cousin, Benji, is a free-spirit stoner who reacts to everything like a child would, for better and for worse.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
His cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, would later serve as the nation's 32nd president, ranks No. 11 on 24/7 Wall Street's list of wealthiest presidents.
6.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cousin 
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.
Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
The pasta maker, in full sight of the dining room, is a cousin of the family of owners.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
His cousin, Benji, is a free-spirit stoner who reacts to everything like a child would, for better and for worse.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
His cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, would later serve as the nation's 32nd president, ranks No. 11 on 24/7 Wall Street's list of wealthiest presidents.
6.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cousin
Articles Related to cousin
Dictionary Entries Near cousin
Cite this Entry
“Cousin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cousin. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cousin
noun
cous·in
ˈkəz-ᵊn 
1
a
: a child of one's uncle or aunt
b
: a relative descended from a common ancestor
2
: a member of a group regarded as ethnically or culturally related
our English cousins
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share