avuncular

adjective avun·cu·lar \ ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of avuncular

1 : 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

2 : 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

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avuncularity

play \ə-ˌvəŋ-kyə-ˈla-rə-tē, -ˈler-ə-\ noun

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avuncularly

play \ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər-lē\ adverb

See avuncular defined for English-language learners

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Examples of avuncular in a Sentence

a man known for his avuncular charm

Recent Examples of avuncular from the Web

After 1870, Cézanne largely stopped painting portraits for a number of years, a period during which he was mentored by the avuncular Camille Pissarro in refinements of the techniques of open-air Impressionism.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "The Lurchingly Uneven Portraits of Paul Cézanne," 21 Feb. 2011
No wonder their respective husbands (an alternately stern and avuncular Chiké Johnson; a cold and distant Matt Zambrano) can seem more like business partners than soul mates, in marriages that are less passionate than convenient.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Rep delivers darkness on the edge of 'Our Town'," 14 Apr. 2018
His demeanor, almost pastoral, was somewhere between avuncular and creepy.

— lindsey bever, Washington Post, "Monica Lewinsky finally met Ken Starr — and things got weird, she says," 26 Feb. 2018
Thank goodness Waters got to appear, because his regal, avuncular presence classed up the program to no small degree.

— morgan enos, Billboard, "'The Last Waltz' Soundtrack 40th Anniversary: 5 Noteworthy Performances From the Concert," 7 Apr. 2018
Luckily, avuncular New Hampshire resident Ben Kilham, a.k.a.

— peter keough, BostonGlobe.com, "They’re that much more adorable in IMAX 3-D," 5 Apr. 2018
Bolton, a former undersecretary of State and ambassador to the U.N., can evince an avuncular, Muppet-like quality, with his overgrown eyebrows and Yosemite Sam mustache.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "“Acerbic, Condescending, Gruff, Demeaning”: Will John Bolton Become Trump’s Warmonger Rasputin, or Just His Next Mooch?," 30 Mar. 2018
Bill Quill — his eyes ice-blue and his avuncular face framed by wisps of gray hair — took me on a tour of the place the other afternoon.

— thomas farragher, BostonGlobe.com, "Flames vs. the philosopher: It was no match," 26 Mar. 2018
She is ably supported by an avuncular turn from Velazquez and cameos from local name actor Dario Grandinetti (Hable con ella, Wild Tales) and Gabriel Goity, Bertuccelli’s co-star in one of her biggest local hits, A Boyfriend for My Wife.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Queen of Fear' ('La reina del miedo'): Film Review | Sundance 2018," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'avuncular.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Origin of avuncular is Familial

Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's murderous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare's tragedy), but "avuncular" reveals that, as a group, uncles are generally seen as affable and benevolent, if at times a bit patronizing. Avuncular derives from the Latin noun avunculus, which translates as "maternal uncle," but since at least the 1830s English speakers have used "avuncular" to refer to uncles from either side of the family or even to individuals who are simply uncle-like in character or behavior. And in case you were wondering, "avunculus" is also an ancestor of the word uncle itself.