kind
/kaɪnd/ noun, adjective
Forms kinds kinder kindest kinde kynd kynde
- noun A type, race or category; a group of entities that have common characteristics such that they may be grouped together. “What kind of (a) person are you?”
- noun A makeshift or otherwise atypical specimen. “The opening served as a kind of window.”
- noun (archaic) One's inherent nature; character, natural disposition.
- noun (archaic) Family, lineage.
- noun (archaic) Manner.
- noun Goods or services used as payment, as e.g. in barter. “in kind”
- noun Equivalent means used as response to an action. “in kind”
- noun (Christianity) Each of the two elements of the communion service, bread and wine.
- adjective Having a benevolent, courteous, friendly, generous, gentle, liberal, sympathetic, or warm-hearted nature or disposition, marked by consideration for – and service to – others.
- adjective Affectionate. “a kind man; a kind heart”
- adjective Favorable.
- adjective Mild, gentle, forgiving “The years have been kind to Richard Gere; he ages well.”
- adjective Gentle; tractable; easily governed. “a horse kind in harness”
- adjective (obsolete) Characteristic of the species; belonging to one's nature; natural; native.
Synonyms
genre sort type derivative generation offspring child form variety genial tolerant
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English kynde, kinde, from Old English cynd, ġecynd (“inherent nature, disposition, kind, gender, generation, race”), from Proto-West Germanic *kundi, from Proto-Germanic *kinþiz, related to Proto-Germanic *kunją (“race, kin”) and Old English cennan (“to bear, give birth”).
Cognate with Old High German gikunt (“nature, kind”), Icelandic kind (“race, species, kind”). Doublet of gens, genesis, and jati. See also kin.
From Middle English kynde, kinde, from Old English cynde, ġecynde (“innate, natural, native”), from Old English cynd, ġecynd (“nature, kind”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Characteristic of the species; belonging to one's nature; natural; native. [Obs.] Chaucer.
- adjective Having feelings befitting our common nature; congenial; sympathetic; as, a kind man; a kind heart.
- noun Nature; natural instinct or disposition. [Obs.]
- noun Race; genus; species; generic class; as, in mankind or humankind.
Etymology [AS. cynde, gecynde, natural, innate, prop. an old p. p. from the root of E. kin. See Kin kindred.]
Etymology [OE. kinde, cunde, AS. cynd. See Kind, a.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “kind”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details