nephew

noun

neph·​ew ˈne-(ˌ)fyü How to pronounce nephew (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
She is forced to rule that the cake was, in effect, presented to the nephew, as the dessert to be shared with everyone at the table. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 Tyler had numerous godchildren, more than a dozen nieces and nephews and multiple great-nieces and great-nephews. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 Butch deferred to his nephew’s cinematic opinions and spoke of Cal worshipfully to his film-buff dentist. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Other relatives present included Erika's sister, Tonya, and niece and nephew. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nephew

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

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

Phrases Containing nephew

Browse Nearby Words

nepheloscope
nephew
nephewship
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Cite this Entry

“Nephew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nephew. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nephew

noun
neph·​ew ˈnef-yü How to pronounce nephew (audio)
: a son of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law

More from Merriam-Webster on nephew

Nglish: Translation of nephew for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nephew

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