nephew

noun

neph·​ew ˈne-(ˌ)fyü 

 chiefly British  -(ˌ)vyü

plural nephews

1

: a son of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law

2

obsolete : a lineal (see lineal sense 3) descendant

especially : grandson

Examples of nephew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In his acquisition of manuscripts and books, Morgan initially relied on the advice of his nephew Junius Spencer Morgan II, a bibliophile who had studied classics at Princeton University and served in an advisory capacity at the university’s library. —Hilton Als, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

The toddlers who became my nieces and nephews called me Aunt Anna, settling in my lap. —Anna Noyes, Bon Appétit, 16 Dec. 2024

During their stay, the couple helped by taking care of their nephews and by cooking snacks for the family. —Paula Soria, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024

In the summer this year, long before any hint of a Syrian uprising, Debra Tice began arranging for her entire family — Austin has six siblings and six nieces and nephews, many of whom he’s never met — to go to Washington. —Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nevew, from Anglo-French nevou, neveu, from Latin nepot-, nepos grandson, nephew; akin to Old English nefa grandson, nephew, Sanskrit napāt grandson

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing nephew

• great-nephew

Kids Definition

nephew

noun

neph·​ew ˈnef-yü 

: a son of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law