aunt

1 of 2

noun

ˈant  ˈänt 

1

: the sister of one's father or mother

2

: the wife of one's uncle or aunt

aunthood

ˈant-ˌhu̇d 

ˈänt-

noun

auntlike

ˈant-ˌlīk 

ˈänt-

adjective

auntly adjective

auntly

2 of 2

adjective

aunt·​ly

ˈant-lē, 

ˈänt-

sometimes -er/-est

: of, relating to, or suggesting an aunt

telephones her … nearly every day with auntly advice

—Newsweek

Examples of aunt in a Sentence

Noun

He has three aunts and two uncles.

This is my Aunt Mary.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Born in Virginia, he was orphaned at age 7 and taken in by his aunt and uncle, who had 13 children of their own. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 30 June 2026

Juan Andrade has been unable to contact his aunt, cousin and their children. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Hundreds of comments poured in from others, looking for their parents, children, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

My personal experience of AIDS comes from my aunt, Lory Lobiondo, who became a hospice nurse after her best friend died of AIDS in 1987. — Sarah Schulman, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old French ante, from Latin amita; akin to Old High German amma mother, nurse, Greek amma nurse

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aunt

• agony aunt
• aunt-in-law
• great-aunt

Rhymes for aunt

• ant
• cant
• chant
• gant
• lant
• pant
• plant
• quant
• rant
• sant
• scant
• slant

Kids Definition

aunt

noun

ˈant 

ˈȧnt

1

: the sister of one's father or mother

2

: the wife of one's uncle or aunt