Meaning & use
kindred sisters
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Meanings
nounpluralliteraryformal
Women who are closely connected by shared origin, beliefs, or feelings, like sisters.
Grammar: Always plural; used of two or more women, and often followed by 'in': kindred sisters in struggle.
Patterns
- kindred sisters in something
- be kindred sisters
The two poets called themselves kindred sisters, bound by a love of language.
In the memoir, the nurses describe one another as kindred sisters in hardship.
nounpluralliteraryold-fashioned
Women related to each other by family or ancestry.
Grammar: Plural only; the singular would normally be expressed differently, such as 'a kindred sister' in older writing.
Patterns
- kindred sisters of someone
The old letters mention the kindred sisters who ran the family farm.
She traced her line back to three kindred sisters from a coastal village.
Common combinations
- kindred spirits
- They met at a conference and instantly felt like kindred spirits.
- kindred sisters in arms
- The veterans spoke of their kindred sisters in arms.
- a kindred soul
- He found a kindred soul in his new roommate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sisters
- More literal and common; it usually means actual siblings or members of a religious order, while 'kindred sisters' stresses a spiritual or symbolic bond.
- kindred spirits
- This is the far more common phrase and can refer to men or women; use it when you mean people who think alike.
- soulmates
- Suggests a deep personal bond, often romantic, whereas 'kindred sisters' emphasizes sisterly likeness and shared roots.
Opposites
Word family
- kindred noun
- A person's relatives or family group.
- kindred adjective
- Similar in nature or character.
- sisterhood noun
- The bond or community of women who support each other.
- sisterly adjective
- Behaving in the warm, supportive way of a sister.
Commonly confused: kindred sisters or kinfolk?
kindred sisters vs kinfolk
'Kinfolk' means relatives in general, while 'kindred sisters' specifically points to women linked by family or spirit.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'kindred sisters' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is literary and means women joined by a shared cause or spirit, so the activists example fits. The dinner and salt sentences use it as an ordinary everyday word for sisters, and the third mixes it awkwardly with a plain family count.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kindred sisters”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.