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Definition of nephew

nephew

/ˈnɛfjuː/
neph · ew
Plural:nephews
•
Adjective:nepotic
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nephew Lexical Profile

nephew Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A son of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law.

Example

"She bought a telescope for her young nephew to encourage his growing interest in astronomy."

2

An illegitimate son of a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic, historically referred to by this euphemism (historical).

Example

"During the Renaissance, several popes appointed their cardinal nephews to influential administrative positions in Rome."

Antonyms
View all antonyms for nephew

• Nearby Words

nepean
nepenthes
nepeta
nephew
nephrolepis
nepotism
nepotist

Word Origin & Etymology

Middle English neveu, borrowed from Old French neveu, from Latin nepos ('grandson, nephew, descendant'), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nepot- ('grandson, nephew'), making it cognate with English 'nepotism' and Old English nefa.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Nephew. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/nephew
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