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.
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death via a video announcement on Facebook. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 With his newfound resolve/death wish, Jacob is determined to keep his sister’s and nephew’s killers on that bridge until backup arrives. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 The singer's nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed to TMZ that she will be buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, where her late husband, Carl Dean, is also buried. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Her death was confirmed in a video posted on social media by her nephew Bryan Seaver, as well as her representatives. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nephew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nephew. Accessed 1 Sep. 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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nephew

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