niece

noun

ˈnēs How to pronounce niece (audio)
plural nieces
: a daughter of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law

Examples of niece in a Sentence

If he's my uncle, then I'm his niece.
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.
Dolly Parton's niece, Danielle Parton, has been named the new brand ambassador for the late country music legend's estate, nearly two months after the singer's death. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Quite a few of those seeds were planted by Uncle Tim, my mom’s younger brother, who would enthusiastically play almost any game with his nieces and nephews … and never pulled any punches. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026 My three children, as well as several nieces and nephews received an excellent education while attending District 124. — Daily Southtown, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 In August 2022, Jesse Tyler Ferguson officiated his Modern Family niece Sarah Hyland’s wedding to Wells Adams. — Mariah Alanskas, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for niece

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nece granddaughter, niece, from Anglo-French nece, niece, from Late Latin neptia, from Latin neptis; akin to Latin nepot-, nepos grandson, nephew — more at nephew

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Phrases Containing niece

Rhymes for niece

See All Rhymes for niece

Browse Nearby Words

Niebuhr
niece
nieceless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Niece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/niece. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

niece

noun
ˈnēs How to pronounce niece (audio)
: a daughter of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law
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