Uncle Sam

American  

noun

1. a personification of the government or people of the U.S.: represented as a tall, lean man with white chin whiskers, wearing a blue tailcoat, red-and-white-striped trousers, and a top hat with a band of stars.

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Uncle Sam British  

noun

1. a personification of the government of the United States

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Uncle Sam Cultural  

1. A figure who stands for the government of the United States and for the United States itself. Uncle Sam — whose initials are the abbreviation of United States — is portrayed as an old man with a gray goatee who sports a top hat and Stars and Stripes clothing. During World War I and World War II, posters of Uncle Sam exhorted young men to join the armed forces. (Compare John Bull.)

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Etymology

Origin of Uncle Sam

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; extension of the initials U.S.

Example Sentences

You wouldn’t lend Uncle Sam your money for 10 years at, say, 4% interest if you thought inflation was going to be 4% a year over that time.

From MarketWatch

Americans shouldn’t do their 2026 budgeting with the expectation of a hefty check from Uncle Sam.

From MarketWatch

So companies get higher productivity and don’t have to pay Social Security taxes to Uncle Sam.

From MarketWatch

So he was stunned when, in high school, he saw “Dazed and Confused” and recognized the backyard rocks where he’d frequently hung out with friends and the giant mural of Uncle Sam.

From The Wall Street Journal

But you’ll have to pay Uncle Sam for the privilege, in the form of a big federal tax hit.

From MarketWatch