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 a recent interview with Page Six, the sister of family patriarch Jim Bob Duggar spoke out about her nephew's March 18 arrest in Arkansas. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026

She is survived by her sisters, a brother-in-law, a niece and nephews, and by her friend and writing partner Wooten. —Pat Saperstein, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026

One Sunday supper, over red wine and meatballs, my Italian mother-in-law announced that her nephew—our cousin, one of the youngest in a field of 13—was getting married. —Lara Kramer, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026

Lombardi's nephew, identified as James, who was paying rent at the home, invited Mackey to stay with him without permission. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026

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