nephew
Americannoun
-
a son of one's brother or sister.
-
a son of one's spouse's brother or sister.
-
an illegitimate son of a clergyman who has vowed celibacy (used as a euphemism).
-
Obsolete. a direct descendant, especially a grandson.
-
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
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 20, Lessons 1–2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Those runs led to some prescient analysis from Toni Nadal, who famously coached his nephew Rafa to 16 of his major titles.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring the late popstar's nephew Jaafar Jackson, has now taken in $340 million at the domestic box office and over $845 million globally, according to Exhibitor Relations.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
Vince Wilburn Jr., nephew and drummer, who now co-manages Davis’ estate: He liked to catch things, that’s why the tape kept continuously rolling, because he said it was songs inside of songs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
“This looks like the role of a lifetime for you,” says Jing-nan’s uncle, a cheerful crook who wants his nephew to inform him of any illicit activities at the plant.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
A few copies were sent immediately to Rome—the first person there to receive a copy was Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the nephew of the Pope, who wrote to Galileo saying how much he enjoyed it.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
