second cousin
MediumNeutral
Definition
Meaning
A relative who shares great-grandparents with you but not grandparents; the child of a parent's first cousin.
Sometimes used loosely to refer to any distant cousin or relative beyond the immediate family.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In kinship terminology, a second cousin is precisely defined by sharing great-grandparents, distinguishing it from first cousins (share grandparents) and cousins once removed (different generations).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage between British and American English.
Connotations
Both varieties use the term with the same connotations of familial distance.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects as a standard kinship term.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
possessive adjective + second cousinsecond cousin + of + pronounVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used; may appear in contexts like family businesses or inheritance discussions.
Academic
Used in anthropology, sociology, and genealogy studies.
Everyday
Common in family conversations and when discussing relatives.
Technical
Precise usage in legal documents, genealogy, and kinship diagrams.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- Their second-cousin connection was discovered through ancestral records.
American English
- We have a second-cousin reunion planned for next year.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My second cousin lives in Manchester.
- I met my second cousin at a family gathering last summer.
- Although we are second cousins, we rarely meet because our families are spread across different countries.
- In genealogical research, establishing a second-cousin relationship requires tracing back to shared great-grandparents, which can reveal interesting familial patterns.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember: first cousins share grandparents, second cousins share great-grandparents. 'Second' indicates one more generation back.
Conceptual Metaphor
Often metaphorically used to indicate a distant or indirect connection, e.g., 'their friendship was like that of second cousins—close yet not immediate.'
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- In Russian, 'двоюродный брат/сестра' means first cousin, while 'троюродный брат/сестра' means third cousin; 'second cousin' is 'двоюродный брат/сестра во втором колене', which can be confusing due to less specific terminology.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'second cousin' to mean any cousin generally.
- Confusing 'second cousin' with 'cousin once removed', which refers to a different generational level (e.g., the child of your first cousin).
Practice
Quiz
What is the relationship between two people who are second cousins?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A first cousin shares grandparents with you, while a second cousin shares great-grandparents.
Typically, second cousins are considered distant relatives, as they are not part of the immediate nuclear family.
Second cousins are the children of your parents' first cousins, or individuals whose most recent common ancestors are great-grandparents.
No, the term is used identically in both British and American English with the same meaning and frequency.