avuncular

adjective

avun·cu·lar ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər

: suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality

avuncular indulgence

Jovial and avuncular, the President's chief of staff seems oblivious to the pressures that accompany what is arguably the second most powerful job in the land.—

Craig Unger

: of or relating to an uncle

Two weeks of poker had led to his writing to his uncle a distressed, but confident, request for more funds; and the avuncular foot had come down with a joyous bang.—

P. G. Wodehouse

avuncularity

ə-ˌvəŋ-kyə-ˈla-rə-tē

-ˈler-ə-

noun

avuncularly

ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər-lē

adverb

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The Origin of Avuncular Is Familial

Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's villainous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare's tragedy), but avuncular reveals that, as a group, uncles are often seen as friendly and kindhearted. Avuncular comes from the Latin noun avunculus, which means "maternal uncle," but since at least the 19th century English speakers have used avuncular to describe uncles from either side of the family, or people who are uncle-like in character or behavior. Avunculus is also an ancestor of the word uncle itself.

Examples of avuncular in a Sentence

a man known for his avuncular charm

Recent Examples on the Web Despite his reputation as an avuncular figure, Biden can be something of an insular soul and a demanding boss, especially for new faces. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 June 2024 Gloom regards me as a warm and avuncular presence in his life. —

Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 3 June 2024 The media lauded his initiatives as unambiguously and gloriously advancing the interests of all Tunisians, with Ben Ali the ever avuncular and enlightened ruler. —

Michele Penner Angrist, Foreign Affairs, 16 Jan. 2011 Park ambled over, hands behind his back in an avuncular pose. —

Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 Audio guides to tours of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of the American Indian featured Momaday’s avuncular baritone. —

Hillel Italie, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Tomlinson is neither comforting in the way of daytime hosts nor avuncular in the tradition of late night, but a third, perhaps more modern thing — a peer and an unfazed guide through our ridiculous internet culture. —

Eliza Brooke, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 This avuncular, down-for-anything attitude has been part of Giamatti’s charm for a long while. —

David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 The ragtag assemblage includes avuncular Carson (John Carroll Lynch), vaudevillian performer Spooky (DC Young Fly), fast-draw gunman Southpaw (Jake Manley), and saloon girl Queeny (Amber Reign Smith), who’s particularly skilled with knives. —

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avuncular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.