kindred
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.having similar ideas, feelings, or qualities.
adj.sharing a similar nature, character, or set of beliefs. Often used in the fixed phrase 'kindred spirits'.
Simple“They became best friends immediately because they were kindred spirits who loved nature.”
In context“The two philosophers found they were kindred souls, sharing a profound skepticism toward the prevailing political theories of their era.”
UsageCommonly precedes the noun it modifies, particularly in the idiom 'kindred spirits'.
Antonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.coming from the same family or having the same ancestors.
adj.connected by blood relationship or common ancestry.
Simple“The two royal families were kindred tribes from the same northern region.”
In context“The anthropologist traced the migration patterns of kindred groups across the archipelago to determine their shared linguistic roots.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.your family and all your relatives.
n.a person's relatives or family collectively; kin.
Simple“He went back to his village to spend the holidays with his kindred.”
In context“She felt a duty to protect her kindred, even those distant cousins she had never met in person.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a feeling of being connected or similar to someone or something.
n.a natural liking for or identification with something; affinity.
Simple“She felt a strange kindred with the lonely characters in the book.”
In context“There is a clear kindred between the two musical styles, despite them developing on different continents.”
Antonyms
From Middle English kyndrede, from older kynrede (“kindred”), from Old English cynrēd, cynrǣden (“kindred, family, stock”), from cynn (“kind, kin, lineage”) + -rǣden (“condition, state”). Equivalent to kin + -red, see these. The -d- is epenthetic between a nasal and a liquid (as e.g. in spindle).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.