kind

Use kind in a sentence

This nurse is being kind.

adjective

The definition of kind is warm, generous or sympathetic.
An example of kind is the personality of Mother Theresa.

noun

Kind is defined as a type of something.
An example of kind is fruits that are red.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Kind." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/KIND.

APA Style

Kind. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/KIND

kind

Archaic
1. origin
2. nature
3. manner; way
a natural group or division: sometimes used in compounds [humankind]
essential character
sort; variety; class

Origin of kind

Middle English kynd from Old English cynd, akin to German kind, child, Old Norse kundr, son from Indo-European an unverified form ??ti- (from source Classical Latin natio, nation) from base an unverified form ?en-: see genus

sympathetic, friendly, gentle, tenderhearted, generous, etc.
cordial: kind regards
Archaic loving; affectionate
Obs. natural; native

Origin of kind

ME kynde < OE gecynde

kind Idioms

after one's (or its) kind

Archaic in agreement with one's (or its) nature

all kinds of

Informal many or much: all kinds of money

in kind

in goods or produce instead of money
with something like that received; in the same way

kind of

Informal somewhat; rather; almost

of a kind

of the same kind; alike
of poor quality; mediocre: entertainment of a kind

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Kind." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/KIND.

APA Style

Kind. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/KIND

kind

adjective

kind·er, kind·est

Having or showing a friendly, generous, sympathetic, or warm-hearted nature.
Agreeable or beneficial: a dry climate kind to asthmatics.

Origin of kind

Middle English kinde natural, kind from Old English gecynde natural ; see genə- in Indo-European roots.

noun

a. A group of individuals or instances sharing common traits; a category or sort: different kinds of furniture; a new kind of politics.
b. A doubtful or borderline member of a given category: fashioned a kind of shelter; a kind of bluish color.
Archaic
a. Underlying character as a determinant of the class to which a thing belongs; nature or essence.
b. The natural order or course of things; nature.
c. Manner or fashion.
Obsolete
a. Lineal ancestry or descent.
b. Lineal ancestors or descendants considered as a group.

Origin of kind

Middle English from Old English gecynd race, offspring, kind ; see genə- in Indo-European roots.

Usage Note: The words kind, sort, and type can be troublesome when they are used with plural nouns and modifiers. Sentences like I hate these kind of movies may occur with some frequency but are awkward, and some would say, grammatically incorrect. The Usage Panel frowns upon these usages. In our 2005 survey, 81 percent rejected the use of kind with a plural modifier and plural noun in the sentence Those kind of buildings seem old-fashioned. Fully 88 percent of the Panel found unacceptable the use of kind with a singular modifier and plural noun and verb in That kind of buildings seem old fashioned. In these examples kind would presumably function as a determiner like number in A great number of people have crowded into the lobby. (Note that number here is singular, but the plural verb have agrees with the plural noun people, so number is not really the subject of the sentence). This problem can be avoided by making the phrase entirely singular (as in That kind of movie is always enjoyable ) or by revising so that the noun is the plural subject (as in Movies of that kind are always enjoyable ). Bear in mind that plural kinds often implies that the phrase refers to a number of different categories of things—more than one genre of movie, for example. Perhaps the best solution is to drop the kind phrase entirely ( Those movies are always enjoyable ) or to be specific ( Those spy movies are always enjoyable ).

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Kind." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/KIND.

APA Style

Kind. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/KIND

kind

kind ¹kindly kindhearted benign benevolent

These adjectives mean having or showing a tender, considerate, and helping nature. Kind and kindly are the least specific: thanked her for her kind letter; a kindly gentleman. Kindhearted especially suggests an innately kind disposition: a kindhearted teacher. Benign implies gentleness and mildness: benign intentions; a benign sovereign. Benevolent suggests charitableness and a desire to promote the welfare or happiness of others: a benevolent contributor.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Kind." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/KIND.

APA Style

Kind. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/KIND

Noun

(plural kinds)

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?
This is a strange kind of tobacco.
A makeshift or otherwise atypical specimen.
The opening served as a kind of window.
(archaic) One's inherent nature; character, natural disposition.
Goods or services used as payment, as e.g. in a barter.
Equivalent means used as response to an action.
I'll pay in kind for his insult.

Usage notes

In sense “goods or services” or “equivalent means”, used almost exclusively with “in” in expression in kind.

Origin

From Old English cynd (“generation, kind, nature, race”), ġecynd, from Proto-Germanic *kundiz, *gakundiz, related to *kunją. See also kin.

Adjective

(comparative kinder, superlative kindest)

Affectionate, showing benevolence.
a kind man; a kind heart
Favorable.
mild, gentle, forgiving
The years have been kind to Richard Gere; he ages well.
Gentle; tractable; easily governed.
a horse kind in harness

Origin

From Old English cynde (“innate, natural, native”), ġecynde, from cynd.

Suffix

Used to form nouns denoting groups or classes taken collectively.

Origin

From Middle English -kinde, -kunde, -kuinde, alteration (due to the noun kind (“type, class”)) of Middle English -kin, -kun, -cun, from Old English -cynn (“of or belonging to a specified race or family”), from cynn (“family, race”), see kin. Most uses appear to have been formed by analogy with mankind.