Meaning & use
cognate
Related in origin, especially describing a word that shares a common linguistic ancestor with a word in another language.
See it in a sentence
"Night" in English and "Nacht" in German are cognate words from a shared root.
The two legal systems are cognate, having both developed from Roman law.
A note on using this word
In linguistics, cognates share ancestry, unlike "false friends," which look similar across languages but have unrelated origins and meanings.
Words with a similar meaning
relatedkindred
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
unrelated
Another way to use it
2. noun
A word related in origin to a word in another language.
Students found several Spanish cognates that made new vocabulary easier to learn.
Make it your own
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