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Glite Dictionary
full cousin

full cousin

2.8
A child of your aunt or uncle who shares both grandparents with you
  • noun
  • /fʊl ˈkʌzən/
translation icon : primo hermano
  • Unlike a half cousin, a full cousin shares both sets of grandparents with you.

Examples

  • She invited her full cousin to the family reunion this summer.

  • My full cousin Sarah is coming to visit this weekend.

  • All of my full cousins grew up in the same town as me.

  • Do you have a full cousin in your family?

  • My full cousins and I often spent our summers playing in the backyard.

  • At the family gathering, I was excited to see my full cousin after many years apart.

  • A full cousin is someone who shares both grandparents with you, unlike a half cousin.

Surface Forms

full cousin singular
full cousins plural

Morphology

full + cousin

The modifier 'full' plus 'cousin' transparently suggests a complete/whole kinship relation, so a learner knowing both words can infer it marks a more complete degree of cousinhood (as opposed to a 'half' cousin). However, 'full cousin' is uncommon in English and the precise technical meaning (sharing both grandparents) is not a universally familiar pattern, so the exact interpretation may require exposure.

Etymology

The noun full cousin comes from the idea that full means 'whole' or 'complete'. It describes a cousin who shares both grandparents with you, so the phrase shows you are related on both sides of your family.