kith and kin

UK: /ˌkɪθənˈkɪn/

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

kith′ and kin′, 

1. Anthropology, Sociology acquaintances and relatives.

• Middle English 1350–1400

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

kith /kɪθ/   n. Idioms

1. Idioms kith and kin, [plural] relatives, or acquaintances and relatives together.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

kith  (kith), n. 

1. Sociology, Anthropology acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like;
   persons living in the same general locality and forming a more or less cohesive group.
2. Anthropology, Sociology kindred.
3. Anthropology, Sociology a group of people living in the same area and forming a culture with a common language, customs, economy, etc., usually endogamous.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English cȳth, earlier cȳththu kinship, knowledge, equivalent. to cūth couth² + -thu -th¹; akin to Gothic kunthi, German Kunde knowledge