# niece

/ˈnis/ (US) · /nˈiːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/niece
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. daughter of a sibling

noun · CEFR A2

the daughter of your brother or sister; also the daughter of your husband's or wife's sibling.

For teachers: the female child of one's sibling or sibling-in-law.

- My niece is five years old and loves drawing pictures for her parents.
- She took her niece to the zoo for her birthday, enjoying the chance to spend quality time with her brother's eldest daughter.

### 2. daughter of a cousin

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the daughter of your cousin.

For teachers: the daughter of one's cousin; more precisely termed a 'first cousin once removed' in formal genealogy.

- In some families, people call their cousin's daughter their niece.
- While technically his first cousin once removed, he always referred to her as his niece due to their significant age difference.

Usage: This usage is common in many cultures but is technically inaccurate in formal English genealogy.

Teaching tip: Learners should be aware that while 'niece' usually means a sibling's daughter, some native speakers use it loosely for younger female relatives.

## Examples

- My niece is starting primary school this September.
- I am buying a birthday present for my niece, who turns ten next week.
- Although they lived in different countries, she maintained a close relationship with her niece through weekly video calls and annual summer visits.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.