Uncle Sam

American  

noun

1. a personification of the government or people of the U.S.: represented as a tall, lean man with white chin whiskers, wearing a blue tailcoat, red-and-white-striped trousers, and a top hat with a band of stars.

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Uncle Sam British  

noun

1. a personification of the government of the United States

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Uncle Sam Cultural  

1. A figure who stands for the government of the United States and for the United States itself. Uncle Sam — whose initials are the abbreviation of United States — is portrayed as an old man with a gray goatee who sports a top hat and Stars and Stripes clothing. During World War I and World War II, posters of Uncle Sam exhorted young men to join the armed forces. (Compare John Bull.)

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Etymology

Origin of Uncle Sam

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; extension of the initials U.S.

Example Sentences

Letters, checks, emails and phone calls from supposedly authoritative organizations — banks, police, universities, Uncle Sam — can be intimidating and, if they’re offering you something for nothing, impressive.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

At the same time, America’s foreign creditors are having to ramp up their own wartime spending, leaving less to lend to Uncle Sam, she adds.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

With the three-month T-bill yield at 3.68%, that represents real savings to Uncle Sam.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Now we have to address the biggest question of all: Should investors still have faith in Uncle Sam?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

"Could the body in the coffin, which you did not examine, have been no body at all? Could it have been a wax dummy dressed in the costume of Uncle Sam?"

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin