Uncle Tom

1 of 2

noun

Un·​cle Tom ˌəŋ-kəl-ˈtäm How to pronounce Uncle Tom (audio)
1
disparaging : a Black person who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals)
2
disparaging : a person who is overly subservient to or cooperative with authority
the worst floor managers and supervisors by far are women … Some of them are regular Uncle TomsJane Fonda
Uncle Tomism noun

Uncle Tom

2 of 2

verb

Uncle Tommed; Uncle Tomming

intransitive verb

disparaging
: to behave like an Uncle Tom

Examples of Uncle Tom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Stowe is known mainly for Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel profoundly informed by her Christian nationalist belief that the United States was failing in its mission to become a New Canaan, precisely because of the blasphemous practice of slavery. Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025 In some accounts of American history, the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin decisively turned public opinion against slavery, accomplishing what pamphlets and political rhetoric could not. Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Uncle Tom, pious and faithful Black slave in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1851–52) by Harriet Beecher Stowe

First Known Use

Noun

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Uncle Tom was in 1852

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Cite this Entry

“Uncle Tom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Uncle%20Tom. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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