avunculate

American

[uh-vuhng-kyuh-lit, -leyt] / əˈvʌŋ kyə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

noun

Anthropology.

a close social relationship between a maternal uncle and his nephew.

avunculate British

/ əˈvʌŋkjʊlɪt /

noun

the custom in some societies of assigning rights and duties to a maternal uncle concerning his sister's son

"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

adjective

of, relating to, or governed by this custom

"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

Etymology

Origin of avunculate

1915–20; < Latin avuncul ( us ) uncle ( avuncular ) + -ate ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It may also be a patruate-group and an avunculate group.

From Project Gutenberg

It may also be a patruate cousin-group and an avunculate cousin-group; and in general, every member of a brother-group has the same consanguineal relation to persons outside of the group as that of every other member.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023