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Jisho gives "relative, relation" for both; I found
[this](https://hinative.com/en-US/questions/12782257) answer saying that `身寄り`
it's like a place where you belong and can stay, but it's not clear by the
examples provided if it's something more broad that literal relatives:
`私には身寄りがいない`, translated as "I have no one who lets me stay with", means "no
**relatives** ", or does it imply absolutely no one, so no friends, etc.
either?

[Weblio](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E8%BA%AB%E5%AF%84%E3%82%8A) says it's
someone from the same lineage, and in the same definition lists `親類`;
[親戚](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E8%A6%AA%E6%88%9A)'s definition says it's
the same as `親類`, so... it kinda seems `親類`, `親戚` and `身寄り` are the same.

I'm confused about the difference between those terms, if any.
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2019-10-12T10:45:58.533
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2019-10-12T12:41:47.017
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question
word-choice
What's the difference between 身寄り, 親類 and 親戚?
親戚 and 親類 are essentially identical in both meaning and usage, but 親戚 is used
more frequently and widely, particularly in everyday language.

身寄り literally denotes a place or a person (or people) to which you belong and
where you can stay. This term is often used in the phrases 身寄りがいない/身寄りがない.

As for the sentence 私には身寄りが(い)ない, this practically means you have no relative
who helps you. As you suggested, by extension, it could mean you have
absolutely no one who lets you stay with, but the scope of the word 身寄り is
generally confined to relatives in most cases.

親戚 is the word of choice for "relatives" when you use Japanese, as it is the
most frequently used all-purpose word.
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2019-10-12T12:41:47.017
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answer