Consanguinity ("blood relation", from the Latin ) is the property of being from the same
kinship as another person. In that aspect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same
ancestor as another person. The
laws of many jurisdictions set out degrees of consanguinity in relation to prohibited sexual relations and marriage parties or whether a given person inherits property when a deceased person has not left a will. Rules of Consanguinity are also used to determine heirs of an estate according to statutes that govern intestate succession, which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.