avuncular

adjective

avun·​cu·​lar ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər 

1

: suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality

avuncular indulgence

Jovial and avuncular, the President's chief of staff seems oblivious to the pressures that accompany what is arguably the second most powerful job in the land.

—Craig Unger

2

: of or relating to an uncle

Two weeks of poker had led to his writing to his uncle a distressed, but confident, request for more funds; and the avuncular foot had come down with a joyous bang.

—P. G. Wodehouse

avuncularity

ə-ˌvəŋ-kyə-ˈla-rə-tē 

-ˈler-ə-

noun

avuncularly

ə-ˈvəŋ-kyə-lər-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

The Origin of Avuncular Is Familial

Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's villainous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare's tragedy), but avuncular reveals that, as a group, uncles are often seen as friendly and kindhearted. Avuncular comes from the Latin noun avunculus, which means "maternal uncle," but since at least the 19th century English speakers have used avuncular to describe uncles from either side of the family, or people who are uncle-like in character or behavior. Avunculus is also an ancestor of the word uncle itself.

Examples of avuncular in a Sentence

a man known for his avuncular charm

Recent Examples on the Web

Grier expertly blends grouchy and avuncular, skeptical and devoted, without making either extreme feel like a cliché. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024

Although many rock critics of his era earned a reputation as crusty, Morse was anything but, and after his death, friends, fellow writers, musicians and publicists spoke of his helpful and avuncular nature. —Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024

Thierry Frémaux, who runs the Cannes Film Festival and the Lumière Institute—where this impromptu ceremony unfolded last month—clasped her in an avuncular embrace. —Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024

Walz is all avuncular, with his can-I-help-shovel-your-walk approachability and good cheer. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin avunculus maternal uncle — more at uncle

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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