nephew
Americannoun
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a son of one's brother or sister.
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a son of one's spouse's brother or sister.
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an illegitimate son of a clergyman who has vowed celibacy (used as a euphemism).
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Obsolete. a direct descendant, especially a grandson.
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Obsolete. a remote male descendant, as a grandnephew or cousin.
noun
Etymology
Origin of nephew
1250–1300; Middle English neveu < Old French < Latin nepōtem, accusative of nepōs nephew, grandson; akin to Old English nefa, Dutch neef, German Neffe, Old Norse nefi; the pseudo-etymological spelling with ph has influenced pronunciation
Explanation
A nephew is the son of your sibling. This makes you the aunt or uncle of that nephew. While a mom, dad, sister, and brother are members of an immediate family, a nephew is part of your extended family because he's the son of a sibling. When brothers or sisters have male children, you become an aunt or an uncle to a nephew. If your nephew has a sister, she is your niece. Both niece and nephew originally meant "grandchild," but narrowed to their current meanings in the 1600s.
Vocabulary lists containing nephew
It's All in the Family
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Unit 20, Lessons 1–2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Muldoon is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart; parents Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr, his sister and brother-in-law Shana and Ahmet Zappa, niece Halo and nephew Arrow Zappa.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
Jamshidi has family members, including his brother—who worked in a high-risk post as a security guard for the U.S. consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, for years—his sister-in-law, niece and nephew stuck in Camp As Sayliyah.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
According to the affidavit, her nephew, William Robbins, who lived in the house, was in his bedroom that night when he heard a loud bang.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
"It's definitely pretty cool to know that I'll be around," said Heath, his daughter and nephew clinging to his legs.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
“In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
