Definition

1. Noun:
   • A son of one's brother or sister: A nephew is a male child of one's sibling (brother or sister). This is a familial relationship term used to specify kinship.

Usage

• The term "nephew" is used to refer to a specific family member. It is a countable noun.
• It is typically used with possessive determiners (e.g., , , ) or preceded by the definite/indefinite article when the context is clear.
• Example:
• Example:

Examples

• Noun:
  • My nephew is starting school this autumn.
  • He sent a birthday gift to his sister's nephew.
  • We are going to visit our nephews this weekend.

Advanced Usage

• "Great-nephew" or "grandnephew": Refers to the son of one's nephew or niece; a nephew once removed.
  • She loves spending time with her great-nephew.
• The term can be used in legal or formal contexts concerning inheritance, guardianship, or familial obligations.
  • In his will, he left a legacy to each of his nephews.

Variants and Related Words

• Niece (noun): The female counterpart; a daughter of one's brother or sister.
  • He has three nieces and two nephews.
• Nephew-in-law (noun): The husband of one's niece, or the nephew of one's spouse.
  • Her nephew-in-law joined them for the holiday dinner.

Synonyms

• Kinsman: A male relative (this is a broader, more formal term).
• There is no direct single-word synonym for "nephew" in English that specifies the exact relationship.

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym. The opposite gender term is niece. In terms of generational direction, an uncle or aunt is the reciprocal relationship from the nephew's perspective.

Related Phrases

• "Favourite nephew": A commonly used phrase to indicate a particularly cherished nephew, though it is not a fixed idiom.
  • Everyone knows he is his aunt's favourite nephew.
• While "nephew" itself does not form standard phrasal verbs, it appears in common familial expressions like "my dear nephew" or "to treat someone like a nephew."

Noun

1. a son of your brother or sister