aunt

1 of 2

noun

ˈant How to pronounce aunt (audio) ˈänt How to pronounce aunt (audio)
1
: the sister of one's father or mother
2
: the wife of one's uncle or aunt
aunthood
ˈant-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce aunt (audio)
ˈänt-
noun
auntlike
ˈant-ˌlīk How to pronounce aunt (audio)
ˈänt-
adjective
auntly adjective

auntly

2 of 2

adjective

aunt·​ly
ˈant-lē, 
ˈänt-
sometimes -er/-est
: of, relating to, or suggesting an aunt
telephones her … nearly every day with auntly advice—Newsweek

Examples of aunt in a Sentence

Noun He has three aunts and two uncles. This is my Aunt Mary.
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.
Noun
Clark had recently purchased her dream home, built in 1900, so her aunt Jan saw the perfect destination for some of the special and otherwise unclaimed treasures. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 My teenage aunts, entrusted with the care of thousands of white larvae feasting on lush, thick mulberry leaves, had to get up in the middle of the night to scatter more leaves into the trays. — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 As a result, the Owens women — with Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing back as the witchy aunts of Bullock and Kidman’s characters — must reunite to finally break the curse that has haunted their family. — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 The Times interviewed moms (and one really cool aunt) who attended the original Lilith Fair — and the kids in their lives — who now count themselves among the Daisy Chain generation. — Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aunt

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old French ante, from Latin amita; akin to Old High German amma mother, nurse, Greek amma nurse

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing aunt

Rhymes for aunt

See All Rhymes for aunt

Browse Nearby Words

Aunjetitz
aunt
auntie
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aunt. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

aunt

noun
ˈant How to pronounce aunt (audio)
ˈȧnt
1
: the sister of one's father or mother
2
: the wife of one's uncle or aunt
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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