kind

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a group united by common traits or interests : category
b
: a specific or recognized variety
what kind of car do you drive
c
: a doubtful or barely admissible member of a category
a kind of gray
2
: fundamental nature or quality : essence
a difference in degree but not in kind
3
a
: goods or commodities as distinguished from money
payment in kind
b
: the equivalent of what has been offered or received
promised to return the favor in kind
4
a
archaic : nature
b
archaic : family, lineage
5
archaic : manner

kind

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: of a sympathetic or helpful nature
was helped by a kind neighbor
They were very kind to us.
b
: of a forbearing nature : gentle
kind treatment of animals
c
: arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance
a kind act
a kind smile
2
: of a kind to give pleasure or relief
cooled by a kind breeze
3
chiefly dialectal : affectionate, loving
Phrases
all kinds of
1
: many
likes all kinds of sports
2
: plenty of
has all kinds of time
Choose the Right Synonym for kind

type, kind, sort, nature, description, character mean a number of individuals thought of as a group because of a common quality or qualities.

type may suggest strong and clearly marked similarity throughout the items included so that each is typical of the group.

one of three basic body types

kind may suggest natural grouping.

a zoo seemingly having animals of every kind

sort often suggests some disparagement.

the sort of newspaper dealing in sensational stories

nature may imply inherent, essential resemblance rather than obvious or superficial likenesses.

two problems of a similar nature

description implies a group marked by agreement in all details belonging to a type as described or defined.

not all acts of that description are actually illegal

character implies a group marked by distinctive likenesses peculiar to the type.

research on the subject so far has been of an elementary character

Examples of kind in a Sentence

Noun hawks and other birds of that kind In this city, you'll find many kinds of people. I like to try different kinds of food. She described the color as a kind of red. I think he's an accountant, financial adviser, or something of that kind. Adjective A kind old woman took the cat in and nursed it back to health. It was very kind of you to show me the way. Thank you for your kind words.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The law, which state officials say is the first of its kind, could slash the zoning process from years to months, said Philip Burns, principal of the Arroyo Group, an urban design and planning firm based in Pasadena, Calif. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The program is the first of its kind in the United States. Samantha Hendrickson, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 The study is also important for being the first of its kind; no other team has yet to recreate double-strand DNA breaks outside of the cellular environment. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Corra is the first third-generation African elephant at Disney's Animal Kingdom and the eighth calf of her kind to be born there. USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 The trail is the first of its kind in Western North Carolina and one of just a few Black heritage trails in the Appalachian region. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2024 Firecracker Run: What started in 1978 as a 10K run to attract a wider audience to Chinatown’s Lunar New Year celebration has become one of the largest and oldest U.S. races of its kind. Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Typically, the tax law says that an individual is considered a natural person, a human being, rather than an entity of some kind. Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Soon my weekly lesson with the new pro in the Hamptons—a kind, warm, cute, and funny guy with an awe-inspiring tan—was the only thing getting me from nap time to bedtime. Zibby Owens, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2024
Adjective
In the fundraiser, the students detailed why James deserved the funds, highlighting his hardworking attitude and kind demeanor. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 With her softly rounded features and kind eyes, Blanc has long been a familiar face in France, working steadily across film, television and theater. Laura Cappelle, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Thank you to all of our readers who reached out to share kind words about the debut of the Fortune CIO Intelligence newsletter last week. John Kell, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 Some see it as a kind, compassionate representation of the social challenges people with autism face. Aj Willingham, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 In a statement shared to the late actor’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account, Lewis’ wife Joyce thanked everyone for the condolences and kind words sent about Lewis. Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 While stories and kind words bring beautiful color to your vows, don’t forget the main purpose of the task. Shelby Wax, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 Will history be kind to the violent twists that ended Thrones? Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Helpful and friendly without being overly solicitous, folks who work at The Harper are genuine and kind. Kim Westerman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English kinde, from Old English cynd; akin to Old English cynn kin

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of kind was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near kind

Cite this Entry

“Kind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kind. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kind

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a group united by common traits or interests : category
hawks and other birds of their kind
b
: variety sense 3a
all kinds of people
what kind of car do you have
c
: one that is barely a member of a category
a kind of gray
2
: essential quality or character
differences in kind
3
a
: goods as distinguished from money
payment in kind rather than in cash
b
: something equal to what has been offered or received
returned the favor in kind

kind

2 of 2 adjective
1
: wanting and liking to do good and to bring happiness to others
2
: showing or growing out of gentleness or goodness of heart
a kind act

Legal Definition

kind

noun
1
: a particular type, category, or class
properties of like kind
see also like-kind exchange
2
a
: an unconverted form
a partition of property in kind
broadly : a form other than money
forbid a bribe in cash or in kind
see also in-kind
b
: the equivalent in value
repay a loan in kind

More from Merriam-Webster on kind

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