Next Of Kin - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT next of kin /nɛkst əv kɪn/ IPA guide

Your closest relatives are your next of kin. You might describe your parents as your next of kin.

You can use the phrase next of kin to describe your family members, especially those who are closely related to you, like your children, spouse, siblings, or parents. It's most common to talk about someone's next of kin when the person has been injured, is terribly sick, or has died. For example, a nurse in a hospital might say, "I'll call his sister to let her know how he's doing — she's listed as his next of kin."

Definitions of next of kin

noun the person who is (or persons who are) most closely related to a given person see moresee less type of: relation, relative a person related by blood or marriage

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘next of kin'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing next of kin

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With all of his family sick, dead, or gone, sixteen-year-old Dorian Gray Henry looks for ways to keep himself and a stray dog alive in rural Vermont and Tennessee.

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