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

see also:

say uncle

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

My mom’s siblings usually arrived in a sour mood without greeting anyone at the table, my aunt’s brow furrowed and my uncle wearing a sneaky smirk. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

An extended family of uncles, aunts, and grandparents, sometimes drawn with a lightly comic touch, help Gurdon thrive. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026

Those girls in the hothouses maintained by fathers and uncles certainly would not spare a single thought for Percherette. — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026

Particularly because William believes Harry is on their uncle’s side in all of this. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 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