kinsman

This term carries a formal or archaic tone, often evoking a sense of ancestral lineage, clan loyalty, or legal inheritance. It is less common in modern daily conversation than the general term relative, appearing more frequently in historical narratives, legal documents, or genealogical studies. While the word can refer to any blood relative regardless of gender in some older contexts, it is predominantly used to specify a male relative. The feminine counterpart is kinswoman, and the gender-neutral collective term is kinship.