1
a
: the brother of one's father or mother
b
: the husband of one's aunt or uncle
2
: one who helps, advises, or encourages
3
—used as a cry of surrender
was forced to cry/say uncle [=was forced to surrender]
4
Uncle
: uncle sam
Examples of uncle in a Sentence
I have three uncles and two aunts.
My Uncle David is visiting next week.
Recent Examples on the Web
His father and grandfather were in the Air Force and his uncle was in the Army.
—
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
For example, a young man with Duchenne had three uncles with the condition, who all died in early adulthood.
—Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
He is survived by his mother, Jarica WIlliams, his siblings — Grayson, Kaiden, and Zalayah — and a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great grandparents.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
William Jones and Arretta Stivers are Ty's uncle and cousin.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncle
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Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
For example, a young man with Duchenne had three uncles with the condition, who all died in early adulthood.
—Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
He is survived by his mother, Jarica WIlliams, his siblings — Grayson, Kaiden, and Zalayah — and a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great grandparents.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
William Jones and Arretta Stivers are Ty's uncle and cousin.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncle
Cite this Entry
“Uncle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncle. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
uncle
noun
un·cle
ˈəŋ-kəl 
1
: the brother of one's father or mother
2
: the husband of one's aunt or uncle
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