Definition of nephew
1a : a son of one's brother or sister or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-lawb : an illegitimate (see illegitimate 1) son of an ecclesiastic
2 obsolete : a lineal (see lineal 3) descendant; especially : grandson
Read the Latest from M-W
Recent Examples of nephew from the Web
-
Marshall Rimann, Wolf Rimann’s 72-year-old nephew, has seen firsthand the city’s preoccupation with his uncle’s murder.
-
The family patriarch acknowledges that there have been some missteps in his efforts to rehabilitate his nephews.
-
Herzog, the son of former President Chaim Herzog and nephew of legendary former Foreign Minister Abba Eban, has long been viewed as party royalty.
-
The lengthy divorce proceedings included allegations that Tarabein launched a company called Infotech with his nephew selling video surveillance equipment.
-
Yet the choice was typical of Mr. Macron, even if the only direct precedent goes back to the mid-19th-century presidency of Napoleon’s nephew Louis Napoleon.
-
Familial relationships that will not be considered close enough to merit entry into the U.S. are, but are not limited to, fiancés, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and brothers and sisters-in-law.
-
Two teenage brothers from Warrenville have been charged with giving a marijuana cigarette that was lit to their 5-year-old nephew, DuPage County prosecutors said Thursday.
-
Kendall, a paraplegic man, was gunned down while his three young children and nephew also were inside his Norwood Drive home.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nephew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of nephew
Middle English nevew, from Anglo-French nevou, neveu, from Latin nepot-, nepos grandson, nephew; akin to Old English nefa grandson, nephew, Sanskrit napāt grandson
NEPHEW Defined for English Language Learners
nephew
playDefinition of nephew for English Language Learners
-
: a son of your brother or sister
NEPHEW Defined for Kids
nephew
playDefinition of nephew for Students
: a son of a person's brother or sister
Learn More about nephew
-
Spanish Central: Translation of nephew Nglish: Translation of nephew for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nephew for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nephew
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up nephew? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!