Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Of or having to do with an uncle.
- adj. Regarded as characteristic of an uncle, especially in benevolence or tolerance.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of or pertaining to an uncle.
Wiktionary
- adj. In the manner of an uncle, pertaining to an uncle.
- adj. Kind, genial, benevolent, or tolerant.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Of or pertaining to an uncle.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. resembling a uncle in kindness or indulgence
- adj. being or relating to an uncle
Etymologies
- From Latin avunculus, maternal uncle; see awo- in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“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.”
The Washington Post: Rebels and Gaddafi forces battle in eastern and western Libya
“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.”
“The first one I can only describe as avuncular and earnest.”
“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
“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.”
“My foolproof/proof fool method as a child: memorize the definition of "avuncular," since it was the last question on the Wechsler.”
“You can ` t-- you can ` t expect to walk into this and just be kind of avuncular and kind -- and think you ` re going to win it.”
“And his friendships in England were of the same kind of avuncular nature.”
“He can do it in that kind of avuncular way that he has.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘avuncular’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Iaan
dirigisme, dystopia, cacotopia, ex ante, veritable, indefatigable, curmudgeon, desultory, antediluvian, transmogrify, pendent, elongate and 136 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( etymology )
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 837 more...
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#faveword
Words chosen as favorites for the Twitter hashtag #faveword.
autumnal, grotto, chiaroscuro, sfumato, homunculus, zing, zest, effervescent, bewitch, avuncular, susurrus, Styrofoam and 205 more...
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My favorites
foible, sidereal, amygdala, woodnote, cogitate, silvern, ollalieberry, ramify, diaphanous, surreality, myopia, subcelestial and 64 more...
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Arbitrary words
A young boy's quest to find a paradigm of "the perfect word."
preponderating, extol, antiquated, aphorism, corollary, blithe, acclivity, abnegate, inasmuch as, averred, cessation, bilious and 7 more...
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xulilux's list
leviathan, destitute, iapetus, caesura, ineffable, eschew, phosphene, fungible, antediluvian, nomenclature, mottle, europa and 84 more...
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Uncle! Uncle!
Uncles, words or phrases with the letters u-n-c-l-e (in that order), and anything avuncular.
uncle, avuncular, Uncle Sam, The Man From U.N...., peduncle, avunculus, say uncle, avunculate, avunculism, patruus, avunculocal, nuncle and 22 more...
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angyal's
in love with words
milosrdenstvi Well, if it's from Finnegans Wake, you hardly need to ask... May 4, 2012
ruzuzu 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
Apr 30, 2012
yarb Neither vuncular nor its opposite. That to which the concept of vuncularity does not apply. Nov 29, 2011
scete Hercule Poirot offered to be her avuncular Jan 14, 2009
sarra might do the trick! Oct 15, 2007
reesetee Sarra, see materteral. :-) Oct 15, 2007
sarra 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. Oct 15, 2007
seanmeade 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. Mar 26, 2007