cousin
A2Neutral. Used across all registers, from formal to informal.
Definition
Meaning
A child of one's aunt or uncle.
A person or thing related to another by similar characteristics, origins, or nature; also used as a general term of friendship or endearment, or to refer to a distant relative beyond the first degree.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Cousin is a gender-neutral term. Specificity requires adding "first," "second," or "removed." 'First cousin' is the most common, meaning sharing a set of grandparents. Often used metaphorically to indicate similarity or close relationship between things.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. Terms like 'cousin-german' (first cousin) are archaic but slightly more likely to appear in UK historical texts. The system for describing degrees of cousinship is the same.
Connotations
No significant difference in connotation.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
POSSESSIVE + cousin (my cousin)cousin + of + POSSESSIVE-PRONOUN (a cousin of mine)cousin + to + NP (He is cousin to the king.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “"What's yours is mine, and what's mine is my own," as said by a Glasgow cousin. (Humorous proverb)”
- “kissing cousin (a distant relative, or something closely related)”
- “country cousin (a rustic, unsophisticated relative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used literally. Metaphorically: 'The new software is a close cousin to the industry-standard program.'
Academic
Used in anthropology, genetics, and history (e.g., 'cross-cousin marriage', 'cousin rivalry in primate societies').
Everyday
Very common for family reference and informal terms of address/friendship ('Hey, cousin!').
Technical
In law: determining degrees of consanguinity for inheritance. In biology: describing species with common ancestry.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- It's not used as a verb in standard British English.
American English
- It's not used as a verb in standard American English.
adverb
British English
- It's not used as an adverb.
American English
- It's not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The cousinly advice was well-intentioned.
- They have a cousinly relationship.
American English
- She gave him a cousinly hug.
- Their feud ended in a cousinly reconciliation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My cousin lives in London.
- I have two cousins.
- She is playing with her cousin.
- We're not brothers, we're first cousins.
- I'm going to visit my cousin in Manchester next weekend.
- He gets on very well with his older cousin.
- My second cousin, whom I'd never met, turned up at the family reunion.
- The two theories are intellectual cousins, sharing a common origin in 19th-century thought.
- As a first cousin to the heir, he had a distant claim to the title.
- The phenomenon is a close cousin to the observer effect in quantum mechanics.
- Their research on catalysts is a direct cousin of the work done at the rival institute decades earlier.
- Being a cousin german to the monarch, her influence at court was considerable.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: "CO-U-SIN" -> "We COme from the same famiLY, U and I are SINs (siblings) once removed."
Conceptual Metaphor
FAMILY IS CLOSENESS. Used to conceptualize any close relationship or similarity (e.g., 'Italian and Spanish are cousin languages').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Russian distinguishes between 'двоюродный брат/сестра' (first cousin) and 'троюродный брат/сестра' (second cousin). English requires the numerical prefix ('first,' 'second').
- The generic English 'cousin' does not specify gender, unlike Russian.
- 'Cousin' cannot mean 'nephew' or 'niece' (племянник/племянница).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'cousin sister/brother' (Indian English influence) instead of 'female cousin' or 'male cousin'.
- Omitting 'first,' 'second,' etc., when specificity is needed.
- Confusing 'removed' (different generations) with numerical degree (same generation).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'cousin' primarily denote?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes, but it is often extended metaphorically (e.g., 'our cousin species') or used as a friendly term of address in some cultures.
A second cousin shares a great-grandparent with you and is in your same generation. A 'cousin once removed' is one generation above or below you (e.g., your parent's cousin or your cousin's child).
No. In everyday conversation, 'cousin' almost always means 'first cousin.' You only need the numerical prefix when specifying a more distant relationship (second, third, etc.).
Yes, 'cousin' is gender-neutral. To specify, you can say 'male cousin,' 'female cousin,' or use their name/context.
Collections
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Family Members
A1 · 44 words · Words for family, people and relationships at home.
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