Uncle Sam

noun

Un·​cle Sam ˌəŋ-kəl-ˈsam How to pronounce Uncle Sam (audio)
1
: the U.S. government
2
: the American nation or people

Examples of Uncle Sam in a Sentence

Uncle Sam wants you to join the Army!
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Make no mistake: the girls were getting a little help from Uncle Sam. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 Don’t Forget Taxes Even if a business does, Uncle Sam will not accept late payments. Petr Marek, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024 Among Uncle Sam’s issues, the Wall Street veteran says, is that notion that the country is drifting away from its can-do roots. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024 Wait until age 70, and Uncle Sam will bump your benefit by 8% per year. Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Uncle Sam 

Word History

Etymology

expansion of U.S., abbreviation of United States

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Uncle Sam was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near Uncle Sam

Cite this Entry

“Uncle Sam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Uncle%20Sam. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Uncle Sam

noun
Un·​cle Sam ˌəŋ-kəl-ˈsam How to pronounce Uncle Sam (audio)
1
: the U.S. government thought of or represented as a person
2
: the American nation or people

More from Merriam-Webster on Uncle Sam

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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