A person who becomes accepted as part of a family to which he or she has no blood relation.

• A. Kinkeeper
• B. Fictive Kin
• C. Social Convoy
• D. Empty Nest

Answer: (B)

Fictive kin. This term describes someone who is treated as a family member even though there is no blood relation. A close family friend, neighbor, or mentor can become part of the family through ongoing care, shared experiences, and long-standing support. They’re welcomed into family rituals, celebrations, and daily life as if they were relatives, and they often provide important emotional and practical support across the life span.

By comparison, a kinkeeper is the person who keeps the family connected—organizing gatherings and preserving traditions—rather than describing someone who becomes a non-relative member of the family. A social convoy refers to the overall network of people who accompany you through life, not a single person, and an empty nest describes a life stage when children have left home. The concept here centers on individuals who are accepted into a family without blood ties, hence fictive kin.