aunt

aunt — noun

1. a woman in your family from the generation above yours, such as one of your pare

1.nounA2
Definition

a woman in your family from the generation above yours, such as one of your parents' sisters or a woman married to your uncle or another aunt

Example

My aunt drove us to Tainan for Grandma's birthday lunch.

my aunt + family event

Aunt Mei always brings mango cake when she visits on Sunday.

as form of address: Aunt + name

Common collocations
  • my aunt
  • Aunt + first name
  • aunt and uncle
  • visit my aunt
  • favorite aunt
Synonyms
  • auntie

    a warmer or more childlike form, often used in direct address

  • relative

    a much broader word that does not show the exact family link

  • great-aunt

    a more specific relation from your grandparents' generation

Grammar Patterns

my aunt

Aunt + first name

an aunt by marriage

Usage Note

Often appears before a first name in direct address, as in Aunt Mei. The word also covers women who become part of the family by marriage, not only a parent's sister.

Common Mistakes

I visited aunt May yesterday.
I visited Aunt May yesterday.
Use a capital letter when aunt is part of a person's name.
She is aunt of me.
She is my aunt.
In everyday English, use a possessive word before aunt.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For this sense, aunt is the normal neutral word for a female family member from the generation above yours. Auntie often means the same person, but it sounds warmer, more childlike, or more personal, especially in direct address. Relative is much broader and only tells you that there is a family connection, not what it is. Great-aunt is narrower: it means your grandparent's sister, or the wife of that person. So you can say My aunt brought soup when I was sick, but My relative brought soup does not show the relationship clearly. If the person is one generation higher again, say my great-aunt, not my aunt.

aunt ↗auntie ↗relative ↗great-aunt

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aunt and uncle
  • favorite aunt
  • great-aunt
  • maternal aunt

Phrases

  • visit my aunt
  • stay with an aunt
  • call Aunt + first name

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Aunt came into English in the Middle English period from Old French ante, which came from Latin amita, a word for an aunt. English kept the family meaning, and the word is now used both for a parent's sister and for some women related by marriage.