kith and kin


plural noun

acquaintances and relatives.

Origin of kith and kin

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Words nearby kith and kin

Idioms and Phrases with kith and kin

kith and kin

Friends and family, as in Everyone was invited, kith and kin as well as distant acquaintances. This expression dates from the 1300s and originally meant “countrymen” (kith meant “one's native land”) and “family members.” It gradually took on the present looser sense.