nephew

noun

neph·​ew ˈne-(ˌ)fyü How to pronounce nephew (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The movie, which starred Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role, has in some quarters been accused of being sanitized, which Peters said in some senses helped the doc act as a companion piece. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 July 2026 The devastating incident occurred during a family fishing trip involving an uncle and his two teen nephews along the Columbia River near Fairview on Monday, July 20, Deputy John Plock of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026 Family members include parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 21 July 2026 Gilstrap died of natural causes Saturday in Los Angeles, according to a statement his nephew, Geoffrey Gilstrap, provided to multiple outlets. — Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nephew

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of nephew was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing nephew

Browse Nearby Words

nepheloscope
nephew
nephewship
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nephew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nephew. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nephew

noun
neph·​ew ˈnef-yü How to pronounce nephew (audio)
: a son of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law

More from Merriam-Webster on nephew

Nglish: Translation of nephew for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nephew

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