aunt

noun

ˈant How to pronounce aunt (audio) ˈänt How to pronounce aunt (audio)
1
: the sister of one's father or mother
2
: the wife of one's uncle or aunt
aunthood
ˈant-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce aunt (audio)
ˈänt-
noun
auntlike
ˈant-ˌlīk How to pronounce aunt (audio)
ˈänt-
adjective
auntly adjective

Examples of aunt in a Sentence

He has three aunts and two uncles. This is my Aunt Mary.
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.
The extended family — Spinelle’s mother, brother, aunt, sister and nieces — had planned to get citizenship and move to Italy, where his great-grandparents were from. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 The hippies would be thrown out of the hotel by my aunt and uncle that were very conservative. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026 Argenis Torres Rosales was visiting the Wilson Creek reservation area in the national forest — about 90 minutes north of Charlotte — with his coworkers on Sunday, July 26, according to his aunt, Wuendy Rosales, of Hickory. — Diamy Wang, Charlotte Observer, 4 Aug. 2026 She was inspired to launch 100+ Women Who Care South Suburbs after having conversations with her aunt and uncle. — Francine Knowles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aunt

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old French ante, from Latin amita; akin to Old High German amma mother, nurse, Greek amma nurse

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aunt was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing aunt

Rhymes for aunt

See All Rhymes for aunt

Browse Nearby Words

Aunjetitz
aunt
auntie
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aunt. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

aunt

noun
ˈant How to pronounce aunt (audio)
ˈȧnt
1
: the sister of one's father or mother
2
: the wife of one's uncle or aunt

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