kennedy

n. countable

B1 Intermediate US //ˈkɛnədi// kennedy

Archaic

Definition

n. a famous American family name, most often used to talk about John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States.

n. a prominent American political family name, most frequently referring to John F. Kennedy or the political dynasty associated with his presidency.

SIMPLE

The Kennedy family is very famous in American history.

CONTEXTUAL

Many historians study the Kennedy administration to understand the Cold War and the space race.

COMPLEX

The legacy of the Kennedy era continues to influence modern political discourse, particularly regarding civil rights and international diplomacy during the mid-twentieth century.

Origin

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.

Usage

Usually capitalized as a proper noun; when used in the plural ('the Kennedys'), it refers to the family as a group.

Word family

VerbJFK
Nounkennedy

Last updated May 2, 2026