Cousin
descendant of an ancestor's sibling
A cousin is a relative who is the child of a parent's sibling; this is more specifically referred to as a first cousin. A parent of a first cousin is an aunt or uncle.
More generally, in the kinship system used in the English-speaking world, cousins are in a type of relationship in which the two cousins are two or more generations away from their most recent common ancestor. In this usage, "degrees" and "removals" are used to specify the relationship more precisely.
"Degree" (such as "first cousin", "second cousin", etc.) measures how distant the relationship is from the most recent common ancestor(s), starting with one for first cousins and increasing with every subsequent generation.
If the cousins do not come from the same generation, "removal" expresses the difference in generations between the two cousins. When removal is not specified, no removal is assumed.
Because the single term "cousin" in English includes both degrees and removals, any given individual can have far more cousins among their living relatives than is possible for any other familial relationship. For some individuals, genealogists can track hundreds of cousin relationships back across centuries.
Various government entities have established systems for legal use that can precisely specify kinship with common ancestors any number of generations in the past; for example, in medicine and law, a first cousin is a type of third-degree relative.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Cousin” is descendant of an ancestor's sibling. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Cousin, descendant and ancestor's, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “descendant of an ancestor's sibling” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q23009870. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cousin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cousin primary sources, Cousin archive and Cousin research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cousin”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Cousin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.