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

Avery’s aunt, Norma Quinn, claimed to KTLA 5 that after her late nephew was hit, his body was dragged half a block down the street. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026

Despite the name, this cool projector, which Tantse gifted to her nephews, projects both stars and galaxies. — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 23 June 2026

McGinn, who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League, dedicates all of his goals to his nephew, Jack, who has to play football in prescription sports ‘goggles’ due to poor eyesight. — Elias Burke, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Survivors include his wife of more than 30 years, Heather; his sister, Carla; and nieces and nephews Olivia, Oscar, Ivan, Vivien, Theodore and Veronica. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 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