uncle

noun

un·​cle ˈəŋ-kəl 

1

a

: the brother of one's father or mother

b

: the husband of one's aunt or uncle

2

: one who helps, advises, or encourages

3

—used as a cry of surrender

was forced to cry/say uncle [=was forced to surrender]

4

Uncle : uncle sam

Examples of uncle in a Sentence

I have three uncles and two aunts.

My Uncle David is visiting next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the boy and his uncle later said that Duckett put Teresa in his patrol car and drove off. —Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

John grew up in one of the three Kennedy Compound houses in Hyannis Port, surrounded by his aunts, uncles, and cousins. —Kate Storey, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2026

My uncle Phil, who also had epilepsy and relied on Medicaid, passed away recently after years of struggling to afford his medications. —James Hart, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026

Most recently, my uncle passed away from multiple cancers. —Des Moines Register, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin avunculus mother's brother; akin to Old English ēam uncle, Welsh ewythr, Latin avus grandfather

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing uncle

• and Bob's your uncle
• cry/say uncle
• Dutch uncle
• great-uncle
• say uncle
• uncle-in-law

Rhymes for uncle

• carbuncle
• peduncle
• siphuncle

Kids Definition

uncle

noun

un·​cle ˈəŋ-kəl 

1

: the brother of one's father or mother

2

: the husband of one's aunt or uncle