nephew
Americannoun
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a son of one's brother or sister.
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a son of one's spouse's brother or sister.
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an illegitimate son of a clergyman who has vowed celibacy (used as a euphemism).
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Obsolete. a direct descendant, especially a grandson.
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Obsolete. a remote male descendant, as a grandnephew or cousin.
noun
Etymology
Origin of nephew
1250–1300; Middle English neveu < Old French < Latin nepōtem, accusative of nepōs nephew, grandson; akin to Old English nefa, Dutch neef, German Neffe, Old Norse nefi; the pseudo-etymological spelling with ph has influenced pronunciation
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.
She also cares for her parents who are in their 70s, as well as her sister and her nephew.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
I say that on behalf of your aunt, but also for every other vulnerable elderly person who could do with a nephew like you.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
Other invitees include a flighty young woman named Theodora and the homeowner’s nephew Luke; they join the scheming Montague and the home’s caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
“Adriel had no medical issues that we were aware of, and his passing was unexpected and an absolute shock,” Gutierrez wrote on Facebook, alongside a video memorializing his nephew.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
Neither did Elisha usually come anywhere near the church on Saturday evenings; but as the pastor’s nephew he was entitled to certain freedoms; in him it was a virtue that he came at all.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
