nephew
Americannoun
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nephews
plural
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Explanation
A nephew is the son of your sibling. This makes you the aunt or uncle of that nephew. While a mom, dad, sister, and brother are members of an immediate family, a nephew is part of your extended family because he's the son of a sibling. When brothers or sisters have male children, you become an aunt or an uncle to a nephew. If your nephew has a sister, she is your niece. Both niece and nephew originally meant "grandchild," but narrowed to their current meanings in the 1600s.
Vocabulary lists containing nephew
It's All in the Family
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Unit 20, Lessons 1–2
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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.
See Examples For:
Questions about central bank independence have also arisen after President Prabowo nominated his nephew, Thomas Djiwandono, as a BI deputy governor early this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Unfortunately, it won't bring them back," said Possetti, whose sister, nephew, niece, and brother-in-law died when pillar 9 of the bridge collapsed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The other undercover officer, Anna, got to know him separately, and during a covertly captured conversation in a café in December 2023 she put it to him that his nephew had killed somebody.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
I'd just got off the phone with my nine-year-old nephew.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
He hangs around with Javi, the maintenance man’s nephew.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
The two young admirals, many assert, enjoyed meteoric career rises thanks to family patronage: They are nephews of a former secretary of the navy, José Rafael Ojeda Durán.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Andrew's sister Chloe and nephews Lewis and Lucas said he was "the best role model", and his partner Kiera said "I am so lost now".
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The loss of a son and two nephews in the Gaza conflict has earned him the sympathy of a battered and grieving population.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Grecia's body, located Thursday, was taken by her father to be cremated in Caracas, while Víctor awaited the remains of his nephews and brother-in-law.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
According to the story, he didn’t talk to his sister, nephews, or anyone else.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
