Akin

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈkɪn/

Definitions

1. Having similarities or a close relationship in nature, type, or character to something else
2. Showing a natural connection or resemblance to another in form or character
3. Closely related or comparable in essence or qualities to something else

Etymology: Anyone who has heard "akin" used with "to" may have wondered where that "a-" came from, and the answer is that it is really a shortened phrase. "Akin" began in Middle English as "of kin," meaning related by blood or family, and over time the "of" wore down into a single syllable fused onto the front of the word. The phrase "of kin" was already being used as a way of saying two people were relatives, so the shortened form kept that sense of family connection. The root is ancient and plain: "kin" comes from Old English "cyn" or "cynn," which meant family, race, or kind. The Old English adjective "cyn" could also mean "proper" or "suitable," a sense that has vanished from the modern word. Its modern meaning stretched outward from literal kinship to any close resemblance in nature or type, so that two things can now be "akin" without any family tie at all.

Synonyms: similar, related, alike, comparable, analogous

Antonyms: dissimilar, unrelated, different, divergent, contrasting