English Reference

Word

kennedy

Phoneticskennedy

/ˈkɛnədi/

Definitions

01the political family

B1

n. a famous American political family, especially referring to President John F. Kennedy.

n. a prominent Irish-American political dynasty, most notably associated with John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.

“Many historians study the life and death of President Kennedy.”

“The legacy of the Kennedy family continues to influence American political discourse and social policy decades after the president's assassination.”

Usage

Usually capitalized as a proper noun; often used with the definite article when referring to the family as a whole.

Synonyms

JFK

02an airport or place

B1

n. a common name for places, especially the large international airport in New York City.

n. a toponym used for various locations, most frequently referring to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.

“Our flight to London departs from Kennedy at six tonight.”

“Traffic congestion around Kennedy often causes significant delays for passengers traveling from Manhattan during peak hours.”

Usage

In New York, 'Kennedy' is frequently used as a shorthand for the airport without the word 'airport'.

Synonyms

JFK Airport

03a surname

B2

n. a common family name that comes from Ireland or Scotland.

n. a surname of Irish and Scottish Gaelic origin, widely distributed throughout the English-speaking world.

“There is a student named Sarah Kennedy in my history class.”

“The researcher identified several families named Kennedy who emigrated from Ireland during the mid-nineteenth century.”

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish Ó Cinnéidigh (ceann (“head”) + éidigh (“ugly”)) or Scottish Gaelic Ceannaideach (ceann (“head”) + aideach (“ugly”). Compare Kenneth and Irish eitigh (“refuse, reject”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference