kith and kin

plural noun

1. acquaintances and relatives.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kith and kin¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

For his installation, “kith and kin,” Moore has drawn a family tree in chalk on the walls and ceiling of the Australia Pavilion.

From New York Times

"I didn't want to see terrorists in government, their people have murdered our kith and kin over the years."

From BBC

It is us, kith and kin, born of human misadventure.

From New York Times

The restaurant leans on the same Afro-Caribbean flavors that defined Onwuachi’s Washington restaurants — the short-lived Shaw Bijou as well as Kith and Kin on the Wharf, which earned him a James Beard Award — but this time, the antecedents to the chef’s cooking are located just a subway ride away.

From Washington Post

He resigned from Kith and Kin in July 2020, a few months after he had to lay off his staff of 70 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

From Washington Post