niece
Americannoun
-
nieces
plural
-
a daughter of a person's brother or sister.
-
a daughter of a person's spouse's brother or sister.
noun
Usage
Spelling tips for niece The word niece is hard to spell because it can be hard to remember the order of the i and e. Sometimes people want to spell it neice, which is incorrect. How to spell niece: The easiest way to remember how to spell niece is with the classic mnemonic device: “I before E, except after C."
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
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
Explanation
Your niece is your siblings's daughter. It's as simple as that. Your parents' brothers and sisters are your uncles and aunts. If you are female, you are their niece. If you are male, you are their nephew. Both niece and nephew come from the Latin word nepotem. One nice thing about the spelling of niece is that it adheres to the "i" before "e" except after "c" rule. Whew!
Vocabulary lists containing niece
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!
Spelling Practice 1, Unit 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Hilton’s family said in the statement that healing for his children and niece was their highest priority.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Brian's niece, Jacqui Low, added: "It just seems incredible that they didn't see the marks on his face, the shot."
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Fortunately, I have a close relationship with both my niece and her mother, and I’ve also been able to help support my niece’s education through a 529 plan established when she was born.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The niece was watching the World Cup on TV in Queens when she heard from a friend that her uncle had "burned himself" in front of the United Nations in Manhattan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
And touching Miss Bates, who at that moment passed near—“Miss Bates, are you mad, to let your niece sing herself hoarse in this manner? Go, and interfere. They have no mercy on her.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
I like the brunch place where a waiter knows I want blackberry jam with my Texas toast, and I know what his nieces have been reading lately.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Alicia Schifferle, Mikaela’s sister, knew she had to give the competition everything she had for her future nieces and nephews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
"I have nieces who are scared," he added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Tyler had numerous godchildren, more than a dozen nieces and nephews and multiple great-nieces and great-nephews.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
As a dutiful aunt I tried to love all my nieces and nephews equally.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
