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

Uncle Sam will take his required slice of the pie, regardless.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026

Like her, Uncle Sam personified American ideals and was popularized in the 19th century as the nation developed its own identity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

Shah admits that Uncle Sam could contribute to volatility, as markets try to handicap these potential worries.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Either way, Uncle Sam is going to come calling sooner or later.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

There he hung or hoved, his vast ironic mouth permanently drawn downward in a kind of melancholy, his lean clean-shaven chops giving him an American expression, like that of Uncle Sam.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White