avuncular

adjective

avun·​cu·​lar ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər 

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

avuncularity

ə-ˌvəŋ-kyə-ˈla-rə-tē 

-ˈler-ə-

noun

avuncularly

ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

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

The more subtle Ted to Russ’ broader Jamie Tartt is Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn, delivering a better performance than the material deserves), a good but beleaguered head coach who dispenses avuncular advice. —Judy Berman, Time, 26 Sep. 2025

An avuncular figure in his 70s with the physique of a man who has enjoyed life, Pier Luigi fell in love with sailing in his late teens, when a family friend took him for a cruise in a sloop. —Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2025

That avuncular evil takes the form of Quail Eegan’s father (Jeffrey Wright). —Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Dyer, too, can riff endlessly in this mode, frothing and fretting like some avuncular combination of Thomas Bernhard and Martin Amis. —James Wood, New Yorker, 14 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin avunculus maternal uncle — more at uncle

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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