nephew

neph·ew | \ ˈne-(ˌ)fyü

How to pronounce nephew (audio)

, chiefly British -(ˌ)vyü \

Definition of nephew

1a : a son of one's brother or sister or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law

b : an illegitimate (see illegitimate sense 1) son of an ecclesiastic

2 obsolete : a lineal (see lineal sense 3) descendant especially : grandson

Examples of nephew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Following her death, Rivera's sister, Nickayla, moved in with Dorsey and Josey to help care for her young nephew. — Christina Dugan, PEOPLE.com, "How Naya Rivera's Mom is Paying Tribute to the Glee Star During Christmas: 'Wish You Were Here'," 24 Dec. 2020 Galla was installed in power in Italy in 425 by the arms of her nephew, the eastern emperor Theodosius II. — Anthony Kaldellis, WSJ, "‘Ravenna’ Review: Crossroads and Crucible," 11 Dec. 2020 Detroit resident Manuel Herrera, 24, takes care of his 11-year-old nephew, who doesn't believe in Santa. — Slone Terranella, Detroit Free Press, "What to expect for photos with Santa at the mall this year," 27 Nov. 2020 The family usually hosts one evening with a Santa visit and free hot chocolate and candy canes for anyone participating in the fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of their nephew, who was diagnosed with the disease at 10. — Brenda Cain, cleveland, "Holiday lights extravaganza: Where to see homes that won finalist honors in Northeast Ohio contest," 26 Nov. 2020 Her favorite pie memory comes courtesy of her then-4-year-old nephew with a serious sweet tooth. — Sharyn Jackson, Star Tribune, "7 Minnesota pastry chefs teach you how to make the perfect pie," 18 Nov. 2020 Cowden, who is a former graphic artist for The Oregonian and now works for the Port of Portland, said the idea started during an out-of-state celebration of life for his nephew, Blake Cowden. — oregonlive, "Watch Lake Oswego man’s adorable animation about friendship, love and getting through tough times," 15 Nov. 2020 Collins has cared for his nephew since his sister died two years ago in a car accident. — Michelle Andrews, Fortune, "Workers are getting fired and penalized for reporting COVID safety violations," 23 Oct. 2020 But the shooting of his nephew by a police officer in Kenosha last Sunday lends new relevance to the event. — Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, "Family of Jacob Blake taking part in March on Washington Friday: ‘We can make a historic change for people’," 28 Aug. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

16 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Nephew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nephew. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

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