What does it mean when someone says they have a cousin "once removed or twice removed"?

Question

Is this just another way of saying first cousin or second cousin? I don't quite understand what "removed" means.

Answer 1

Others have given the correct meaning, but they didn't really explain it, so it may be unclear. I hope this helps.

Basically it works like this -- if our parents are siblings, we are (first) cousins, in our grandparents are siblings we are second cousins, great-grand parents - third cousins, etc. But what if there are not the same number of generations on one side as on the other? That's where we use "once removed", "twice removed", etc. to refer the number of generations difference.

So, for example: At a recent family reunion several of my cousins attended with their children, as did I. So my kids got to meet many of their SECOND cousins. But one of the OLDEST of the second cousins now has three children of his own. The relationship between my kids and those kids of their second cousin is "second cousins ONCE removed", They are also MY "first cousins TWICE removed" (since they are most directly related to me through my first cousin).

In fact, that may be the best way to look at it -- start with the CLOSEST relationship (first cousin, second cousin, etc), then count the 'generation(s) gap'.

Some vary this system a bit, but what I've described is a common way of using these terms.

Answer 2

My mother's first cousin told me she was my "first cousin, once removed."

"Removed," I suppose, refers to the next generation.

Answer 3

Separating generations.