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.
But fortunately his maternal aunt and uncle were able to take him in. Martine Paris, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025 The girls are so excited to get another aunt. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025 Considering it's been 15 years since the Scream Queens actor walked a red carpet with her iconic aunt, that would be completely fair. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2025 The Dursleys, Harry’s aunt and uncle, will be brought to life by Bel Powley as Petunia and Daniel Rigby as her husband Vernon. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aunt. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on aunt

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