Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of or having to do with an uncle.
- adjective Regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or pertaining to an uncle.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Of or pertaining to an uncle.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective In the manner of an
uncle , pertaining to an uncle. - adjective by extension
Kind ,genial ,benevolent , ortolerant .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective resembling a uncle in kindness or indulgence
- adjective being or relating to an uncle
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The former justice minister is known as an avuncular and soft-spoken man who quit the cabinet in the early days of the uprising and immediately joined the rebels in Benghazi.
Rebels and Gaddafi forces battle in eastern and western Libya 2011
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The former justice minister is known as an avuncular and soft-spoken man who quit the cabinet in the early days of the uprising and immediately joined the rebels in Benghazi.
Rebels and Gaddafi forces battle in eastern and western Libya 2011
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The former justice minister is known as an avuncular and soft-spoken man who quit the cabinet in the early days of the uprising and immediately joined the rebels in Benghazi.
Rebels and Gaddafi forces battle in eastern and western Libya 2011
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But while Norton's lavish tribute may well have had a certain avuncular motive, it's evident that the fervor and clamor of young Kipling's balladry stirred the old Brahmin to his bones.
Who Was Kipling? 2007
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The first one I can only describe as avuncular and earnest.
Jewschool Ruby K 2010
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McMahon, best known as the avuncular second banana to Johnny Carson on the "Tonight Show," died at age 86, also in dire financial straits after profligate spending.
unknown title 2009
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I think he brought a kind of avuncular approach to "World News Tonight," but I never thought he had a really serious gravitas that he brought to "World News Tonight," and maybe that was just because of who he is, maybe that was just his personality.
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I think he brought a kind of avuncular approach to "World News Tonight," but I never thought he had a really serious gravitas that he brought to "World News Tonight," and maybe that was just because of who he is, maybe that was just his personality.
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The TV listings call Larry King "avuncular," which describes his affability but sets him somewhat apart from his guests.
Jerry Weissman: The Art & Science of Oprah Winfrey: Part III 2009
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My foolproof/proof fool method as a child: memorize the definition of "avuncular," since it was the last question on the Wechsler.
"Is it possible to prepare for Intelligence tests?" Ann Althouse 2007
seanmeade commented on the word avuncular
the thing i love about avuncular is its origin in Indo-European pre-history and the probable cultural milieu: the importance of the maternal uncle/grandfather in bringing up a boy in a paternal society.
March 26, 2007
sarra commented on the word avuncular
Is there any word which covers the same traits (kindness, experience, generosity, maybe a bit of exuberance) in a female? Matronly is too distanced. Language hacks gladly accepted.
October 15, 2007
reesetee commented on the word avuncular
Sarra, see materteral. :-)
October 15, 2007
sarra commented on the word avuncular
might do the trick!
October 15, 2007
scete commented on the word avuncular
Hercule Poirot offered to be her avuncular
January 14, 2009
yarb commented on the word avuncular
Neither vuncular nor its opposite. That to which the concept of vuncularity does not apply.
November 29, 2011
ruzuzu commented on the word avuncular
That's interesting, yarb. There is an example over on vuncular, but I can't tell whether it's intentional or a typo (or an intentional typo):
“Avia, that simple pair, and descendant down on veloutypads by a vuncular process to Nurus and Noverca, those notorious nepotists, circumpictified in their sobrine census, patriss all of them by the glos on their germane faces and their socerine eyes like transparents of vitricus, patruuts to a man, the archimade levirs of his ekonome world.”
--Finnegans Wake
April 30, 2012
milosrdenstvi commented on the word avuncular
Well, if it's from Finnegans Wake, you hardly need to ask...
May 4, 2012
rlinde commented on the word avuncular
There has been an earlier comment, but I'd love some feedback: can a woman be avuncular?
July 3, 2012
pterodactyl commented on the word avuncular
I don't see why not. As best as I can tell, in order to be avuncular, all you have to do is behave like a stereotypical uncle. Anyone can do that, whether they're male or female.
July 4, 2012