uncle

noun

un·​cle ˈəŋ-kəl How to pronounce uncle (audio)
1
a
: the brother of one's father or mother
b
: the husband of one's aunt or uncle
2
: one who helps, advises, or encourages
3
used as a cry of surrender
was forced to cry uncle
4
capitalized : uncle sam

Examples of uncle in a Sentence

I have three uncles and two aunts. My Uncle David is visiting next week.
Recent Examples on the Web More than 50 members of my family, including my grandparents and my youngest uncle, perished at the hands of the Nazis. Richard Trank, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 George is a proud uncle to her two children Ada had two children with her husband Norman, who died in October 2004 of a sudden heart attack, according to The Northerner. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 My uncle plays the piano, and my mother’s cousin sings on the guitar. Zaina Arafat, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 At Friday’s hearing, Thomas’s loved ones, wearing matching shirts with his picture, remembered their uncle and brother as funny, caring and hard-working. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will make his screen debut playing his uncle in the Fuqua film, while 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi will portray the King of Pop from his early days in the Jackson 5. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 But here’s the rub: the barbeque is a wedding reception for his mother and his uncle. David Catlin, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Kennedy has leaned into conspiracies surrounding the death of his uncle, including on Joe Rogan’s podcast and in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 Of his uncle, Aguas always said that using a knife to stir the drink is essential. Jeanette Hurt, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uncle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin avunculus mother's brother; akin to Old English ēam uncle, Welsh ewythr, Latin avus grandfather

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of uncle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near uncle

Cite this Entry

“Uncle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

uncle

noun
un·​cle ˈəŋ-kəl How to pronounce uncle (audio)
1
: the brother of one's father or mother
2
: the husband of one's aunt

More from Merriam-Webster on uncle

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