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

Nearly two years later, Rob took a family picture with his mom, sisters, nieces, nephews and Dream during their Easter celebration in April 2025. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

Bonhoeffer, with his immense capacity for empathy, worried about how his nephew, who was also his godson, was faring under these circumstances. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025

Turner pointed out that the book's publication could be a significant distraction during an important week for Andrew's brother King Charles III and his nephew Prince William. —Ashley Hume , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025

After Robbie dies in Episode 6, Maeve finds herself at a standstill in processing the loss of her uncle, while also simultaneously figuring out how to survive with her niece and nephew after Robbie’s death. —Leia Mendoza, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025

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