kinswoman

/'kinz,wumən/

Thân thiện

She visits her elderly kinswoman every Sunday afternoon.

Definition

Noun: A female relative; a woman who is connected to another person by blood (consanguinity) or, less commonly, by marriage (affinity).

Usage

"Kinswoman" is a formal and somewhat old-fashioned term used to specify a female relative. It is the feminine counterpart to "kinsman." It is often used in legal, historical, or genealogical contexts to describe familial relationships in a precise, gender-specific way. In everyday modern English, terms like "relative," "family member," or specific terms like "aunt," "cousin," or "sister" are more common.

Examples

• She discovered through her research that the famous author was a distant kinswoman.
• The will stated that the estate should be inherited by the nearest kinswoman.
• All his kinswomen were invited to the family reunion.

Advanced Usage

• "To acknowledge someone as a kinswoman": To formally recognize or accept a woman as a relative.
  • The clan chief formally acknowledged her as a kinswoman.
• Used in contrast with "kinsman" to collectively refer to relatives of both sexes.
  • He was seeking help from his kinsmen and kinswomen.

Variants and Related Words

• Kin (noun): One's family and relations (collectively, not gender-specific).
  • He is my next of kin.
• Kinsman (noun): A male relative.
  • He was aided by a loyal kinsman.
• Kinship (noun): The state of being related; family relationship.
  • They felt a strong sense of kinship.

Synonyms

• Relative (noun): A person connected by blood or marriage. (This is the most common modern equivalent and is gender-neutral.)
• Relation (noun): Another term for relative.
• Family member (noun phrase): A person belonging to one's family.

Antonyms

• Non-relative (noun): A person not connected by family ties.
• Stranger (noun): A person whom one does not know.

Notes

"Kinswoman" is rarely used in casual conversation today. Its usage persists in specific fields like law (e.g., "next of kin"), anthropology, and historical writing. The plural form is kinswomen.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a female relative