consanguineous

adjective

con·​san·​guin·​e·​ous ˌkän-ˌsan-ˈgwi-nē-əs 

-ˌsaŋ-

: of the same blood or origin

specifically : descended from the same ancestor

consanguineous brothers

consanguineously adverb

Did you know?

Consanguineous is part of a family of "blood" relatives that all descend from the Latin noun sanguis, meaning "blood." Some of these relatives are found on the literal branch of the family tree, as "exsanguination," a term for the draining or removal of blood. Others are on the figurative side of the family, such as "sanguine," a word that can mean "bloodred" or "ruddy" but that is more often used with the meaning "cheerful" or "optimistic." There is also "sangfroid," a French word (literally meaning "cold blood") that was borrowed into English to refer to self-control under stress. "Consanguineous" relies on the "kinship" sense of "blood," bringing together "sanguis" with the Latin prefix con-, meaning "with," to form a word used to describe two or more organisms that descend from the same ancestor.

Synonyms

• biological
• biologic
• birth
• natural

Examples of consanguineous in a Sentence

felt just as close to his adopted brother as he did to his two consanguineous siblings

Recent Examples on the Web

The downsides of inbreeding are to some extent intuitively understood by all, especially consanguineous relations between first order relatives. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2013

One way to tackle the problem of genetic diseases which emerge out of consanguineous unions apparently isn't to discourage the unions themselves, but dodge the outcomes. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 25 Aug. 2010

First, the Middle East has long been, and is still now, a region characterized by consanguineous marriages which likely increases genetic distance over short spatial scales. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2013

Word History

Etymology

Latin consanguineus, from com- + sanguin-, sanguis blood

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

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Medical Definition

consanguineous

adjective

con·​san·​guin·​e·​ous ˌkän-ˌsan-ˈgwin-ē-əs, -ˌsaŋ- 

: of the same blood or origin

specifically : relating to or involving persons (as first cousins) that are relatively closely related

consanguineous marriages

consanguinity

-ˈgwin-ət-ē 

noun

plural consanguinities

Legal Definition

consanguineous

adjective

con·​san·​guin·​e·​ous ˌkän-ˌsan-ˈgwi-nē-əs, -ˌsaŋ- 

: of the same blood or origin

specifically : descended from the same ancestor

consanguineously adverb