nephew

noun

neph·​ew ˈne-(ˌ)fyü 

chiefly British -(ˌ)vyü

plural nephews

1

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

2

obsolete : a lineal (see lineal sense 3) descendant

especially : grandson

Examples of nephew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ridi's brother Qusay has remained in the home along with a nephew, in increasingly dire conditions, to protect it from the settlers. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

The shooting was allegedly retaliation for an altercation earlier that night involving Shakur, Knight and Davis' nephew, a fellow Crips member. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

When Ridi finally reached his home, he was greeted by his brother and teenage nephew, who have stayed inside to protect the property from the settlers. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Survivors also include his son, Justin; grandchildren Aurelia and Juliet; sister JoAnn; and nephews Greg, Chris, and Jeff. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nevew, from Anglo-French nevou, neveu, from Latin nepot-, nepos grandson, nephew; akin to Old English nefa grandson, nephew, Sanskrit napāt grandson

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing nephew

• great-nephew

Kids Definition

nephew

noun

neph·​ew ˈnef-yü 

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