great-uncle

noun

great-un·​cle ˈgrāt-ˈəŋ-kəl How to pronounce great-uncle (audio)

Examples of great-uncle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If your fiance’s great-uncle got wind of the fact that he was being falsely accused and that your great-aunt not only didn’t love him but was after him for financial gain, who can blame him for running? Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 27 May 2024 Dominik has followed his father and great-uncle into professional wrestling with WWE. Adam England, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024 His great-uncle was a baker in the Philippines during World War II. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2024 Cudahy sees the series, part of which will be included in his first U.S. museum survey, opening next month at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art in Maine, as something of a memorial to his great-uncle, in the same vein as his tribute to Russell. Coco Romack, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Jason Holt showed Martin a photo of his great-uncle, PFC Thomas Coleman Hawkins (pictured right, with a friend). David Martin, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2024 When his great-uncle dies, Norman inherits the responsibility of enacting an annual ritual to protect the town from a 300 year old witch's curse. Danny Horn, EW.com, 6 Oct. 2023 Some, like Cohen’s great-uncle, had their number removed. Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024 In Luling, Yeni, her parents, aunts, and grandmother settled into a cramped house with a tin roof that was down the street from her great-uncles, the first members of the family to discover the town’s decent jobs, in the oil fields. Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great-uncle was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near great-uncle

Cite this Entry

“Great-uncle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great-uncle. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

great-uncle

noun

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