niece
A2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A daughter of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.
In a broader informal sense, can refer to any young female relative or family friend one feels an avuncular affection towards.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strictly, a niece can be a child of a full, half-, or step-sibling. In modern use, it is also commonly applied to the children of one's spouse's siblings.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or usage differences. Both follow the core definition.
Connotations
Same connotations of family affection and responsibility.
Frequency
Equal frequency in both dialects; part of core family vocabulary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
My [ADJ] niece[VERB] my nieceniece of [NOUN]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly associated with the word 'niece']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. May appear in discussions of family leave, benefits, or personal anecdotes.
Academic
Used primarily in anthropological, sociological, or historical texts discussing kinship systems.
Everyday
Very common in personal and family conversations.
Technical
Used in legal contexts (e.g., wills, inheritance law) and genealogy.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He nieces his brother's children (non-standard, rare).
American English
- She was unofficially nieced by her aunt's best friend (non-standard, rare).
adjective
British English
- She has a niece-like relationship with her neighbour's child (hyphenated compound).
American English
- He felt a niece-level of responsibility (compound noun used adjectivally).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This is my niece, Anna. She is five years old.
- My sister has a daughter. She is my niece.
- I'm looking after my niece this weekend while her parents are away.
- My niece is starting secondary school in September.
- Despite the age gap, my niece and I have a remarkably close relationship.
- I've been named as the legal guardian for my niece in my brother's will.
- My niece, whose academic prowess is widely acknowledged, has just been offered a place at Oxford.
- The inheritance laws were amended to include nieces and nephews in the absence of direct descendants.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'niece' has 'ice' in it. She's a cool young relative (and the spelling distinguishes her from 'nephew').
Conceptual Metaphor
THE FAMILY TREE (a niece is a branch descending from one's sibling).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Direct translation is "племянница." The main trap is spelling confusion with "piece" (кусок) due to similar pronunciation.
- No gender distinction in English; 'niece' is only female. No separate word for 'daughter of a spouse's sibling'; context clarifies.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'neice' (incorrect vowel order).
- Confusing pronunciation/spelling with 'piece'.
- Using 'nephew' incorrectly for a female child.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the correct definition of 'niece'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The daughter of your cousin is your cousin once removed (or simply your younger cousin in casual speech). A niece must be the child of your sibling or your spouse's sibling.
The male equivalent is 'nephew'.
Not in a strict, legal sense. However, it is very common in informal, affectionate contexts to refer to a close friend's child as a 'niece' or 'nephew'.
It is pronounced exactly like 'peace' or 'piece' (/niːs/), with a long 'ee' sound. The 'i' before 'e' spelling rule applies here.
Collections
Part of a collection
Family Members
A1 · 44 words · Words for family, people and relationships at home.