What does "uncle" mean?
The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.
Uncle
/ˈʌŋ.kl̩/ intj, noun, verb, slang
intj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.
- Grammar: uncle is listed as intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aunt, auntie, blood brother, brethren.
- Useful contrasts: aunt, aunts, aunty.
- Usage evidence: The house with the red roof belongs to my uncle.
How to use "uncle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "uncle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "uncle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "uncle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "uncle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "uncle" is acting as intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aunt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "uncle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.
"And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed."
- 2 radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter U.
- 3 the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt wordnet
- 4 The male cousin of one’s parent.
- 5 a source of help and advice and encouragement wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Used as a fictive kinship title for a close male friend of one's parent or parents. endearing
- 7 Used as a title for the male companion to one's (usually unmarried) parent. euphemistic
- 8 A source of advice, encouragement, or help. figuratively
- 9 A pawnbroker. British, dated, informal
"December 1843, William Makepeace Thackeray, "Grant in Paris" (review), in Fraser's Magazine A chain hangs out of the pocket of his velvet waistcoat , by which we may conclude that he has a watch , though we have known many gents whose watches were at their uncle's (as the fashionable term for the pawnbroker goes)"
- 10 An affectionate term for a man of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin. especially
- 11 An older African-American male. Southern-US, archaic, slang
"Plain old uncle as he [Socrates] was, with his great ears, — an immense talker."
- 12 Any middle-aged or elderly man older than the speaker and/or listener. Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, informal
Verb
- 1 To address somebody by the term uncle. colloquial, transitive
- 2 To act like, or as, an uncle. colloquial, intransitive
"Betelgeuse Five, where he both fathered and uncled Ford"
Intj
- 1 A cry used to indicate surrender. US, colloquial
Example
"The house with the red roof belongs to my uncle."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "uncle"?
Common synonyms include: aunt, auntie, blood brother, brethren, brother, bub.
How do you use "uncle" in a sentence?
The house with the red roof belongs to my uncle.
How do you pronounce "uncle"?
Pronounced /ˈʌŋ.kl̩/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os Latin avunculus Old French unclebor. Middle English uncle English uncle From Middle English uncle, borrowed from Anglo-Norman uncle and Old French oncle, from Vulgar Latin *aunclum, from Latin avunculus (“maternal uncle”, literally “little grandfather”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (“little grandfather”), a dialectal diminutive of *h₂éwh₂ō (“grandfather, adult male relative other than one’s father”) (whence also Latin avus (“grandfather”)). Displaced native Middle English em (“uncle”) from Old English ēam (“maternal uncle”), containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, and Old English fædera (“paternal uncle”). Compare Saterland Frisian Unkel (“uncle”), Dutch nonkel (“uncle”), German Low German Unkel (“uncle”), German Onkel (“uncle”), Danish onkel (“uncle”). More at eam and eame.