niece

[nees]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR niece ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a daughter of a person's brother or sister.

a daughter of a person's spouse's brother or sister.

Origin of niece

1250–1300; Middle English nece < Old French < Vulgar Latin *neptia, for Latin neptis granddaughter; replacing Middle English nifte, Old English nift niece (cognate with Old Frisian, Old High German nift, Dutch nicht, Old Norse nipt) < Germanic; akin to Lithuanian neptė̃, Sanskrit naptī; cf. nephew

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for niece

father, sibling, mother, cousin, folk, uncle, niece, aunt, girl, wife, daughter, she, agnate, cognate, connection, blood, folks, relation, grandparents, sister-in-law

Examples from the Web for niece

Contemporary Examples of niece

He hugs his sister, Athelgra, hugs his daughter, Ernestine, hugs his niece Arthel.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou
John Ed Bradley
April 27, 2014
Negron was dating Mayor Delle Donna's niece, Rita Perito, and their relationship allegedly turned physically abusive.
Did Christie Go Easy on a Human Trafficker Just to Bust a Small-Time Pol?
Olivia Nuzzi
March 17, 2014
My ultimate aim is that by the time my niece is eight - she's three now - there won't be a risk of FGM.
Camilla Backs FGM Eradication Campaign
Tom Sykes
February 28, 2014
I have a 13-year-old niece who is a Belieber (aka big fan of Justin).
Justin Bieber's Spiritual Crisis
Joshua DuBois
January 26, 2014
The neighbor was off visiting somebody at the hospital, but a niece was there and let Ortega in.
‘Killer Nanny’ Case: What the Krims Didn’t Know About Yoselyn Ortega
Michael Daly
June 26, 2013

Historical Examples of niece

Mrs. Van Geist fixed her niece with a sudden look of suspicion.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
I came here, brother, to propose a match for my niece, Angélique.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
But, niece, it is not making too much fun of him to fall in with his fancies.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
My dear Mother,—Mr. Vernon returned on Thursday night, bringing his niece with him.
Lady Susan
Jane Austen
The gentlemen considered a niece of Mrs. Stanhope as their lawful prize.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for niece

niece

noun

a daughter of one's sister or brother

Word Origin for niece

C13: from Old French niece granddaughter, ultimately from Latin neptis granddaughter

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

Word Origin and History for niece

c.1300, from Old French niece "niece, granddaughter" (12c., Modern French nièce), earlier niepce, from Latin neptia (also source of Portuguese neta, Spanish nieta), from neptis "granddaughter," in Late Latin "niece," fem. of nepos "grandson, nephew" (see nephew). Replaced Old English nift, from Proto-Germanic *neftiz, from the same PIE root (Old English also used broðordohter and nefene).

Until c.1600, it also commonly meant "a granddaughter" or any remote female descendant. Cf. cognate Spanish nieta, Old Lithuanian nepte, Sanskrit naptih "granddaughter;" Czech net, Old Irish necht, Welsh nith, German Nichte "niece."