niece

[ nees ]

See synonyms for niece on Thesaurus.com

noun

a daughter of a person's brother or sister.
a daughter of a person's spouse's brother or sister.

Origin of niece

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English nece, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin neptia (unrecorded), from Latin neptis “granddaughter”; replacing Middle English nifte, Old English nift; cognate with Old Frisian, Old High German nift, Dutch nicht, Old Norse nipt; akin to Lithuanian neptė̃, Sanskrit naptī; cf. nephew

Words Nearby niece

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use niece in a sentence

He is said to have had many affairs, chief among them with Jean Gordon, his half-niece.
The Price of Being a Patton: Wrestling With the Legacy of America’s Most Famous General | Tim Teeman | May 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He hugs his sister, Athelgra, hugs his daughter, Ernestine, hugs his niece Arthel.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou | John Ed Bradley | April 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Negron was dating Mayor Delle Donna's niece, Rita Perito, and their relationship allegedly turned physically abusive.
Did Christie Go Easy on a Human Trafficker Just to Bust a Small-Time Pol? | Olivia Nuzzi | March 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
My ultimate aim is that by the time my niece is eight - she's three now - there won't be a risk of FGM.
Camilla Backs FGM Eradication Campaign | Tom Sykes | February 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
I have a 13-year-old niece who is a Belieber (aka big fan of Justin).
Justin Bieber's Spiritual Crisis | Joshua DuBois | January 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

One of her humours was to unite the son of her minister, with a niece of the widowed Queen of Saint Germain's.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
It was evident to the German doctor that his patron looked forward to his great-niece's visit with pleasure.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
Miss Barrington shook off her anger, and rising, laid a gentle hand on her niece's shoulder.
Winston of the Prairie | Harold Bindloss
A niece is so safe—however good you are at statistics, you can't really prove anything.
First Plays | A. A. Milne
(A little awkwardly) Darling one, I wonder if you'd mind—just at first—being introduced as my niece.
First Plays | A. A. Milne

British Dictionary definitions for niece

niece

/ (niːs) /

noun

a daughter of one's sister or brother

Origin of niece

C13: from Old French niece granddaughter, ultimately from Latin neptis granddaughter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse