Kindred means related by blood or family connection, but it also describes people who share a deep similarity in their interests, beliefs, or spirit.

When you meet someone who loves the same books you do, laughs at the same jokes, and thinks about problems the same way, you might call them a kindred spirit. It's that feeling of immediate connection, like you've known each other forever even if you just met. Anne Shirley, the main character in Anne of Green Gables, uses this term when she meets Diana Barry and instantly recognizes someone who sees the world the way she does.

The word originally referred to actual family relationships. Your kindred were your blood relatives: parents, siblings, cousins, and other family members. In medieval times, people spoke of their kindred when discussing family obligations or inheritance.

Today, the phrase kindred spirit has become the most common use of the word. Finding kindred spirits matters because these people understand you without long explanations. They share your enthusiasms and your way of looking at things. A student passionate about dinosaurs might find a kindred spirit in a classmate who also reads every paleontology book in the library. Two musicians might be kindred spirits if they both hear music in everyday sounds like rain or passing trains.