I love the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring when the avuncular Bilbo gives his beloved nephew Frodo a magical sword and shirt of mail to protect him, and then laughs it off like it ain't no biggie:

     "'I cannot thank you as I should, Bilbo, for this, and for all our past kindnesses,' said Frodo.
     'Don't try!' said the old hobbit, turning round and slapping him on the back.
     'Ow!' he cried. 'You are too hard now to slap! But there you are: Hobbits must stick together, and especially Bagginses. All I ask in return is: take as much care of yourself as you can, and bring back all the news you can, and any old songs and tales you can come by.'"

Bilbo is avuncular to Frodo, like Dumbledore is to Harry, like Jean Valjean is to Cosette, and like Santa Claus is to children.

That is, to be avuncular is to be, if not technically someone's uncle, then uncle-like in the very best ways: kind, wise, gentle, loving, devoted, good-humored, benev____t ("good-hearted and helpful"), am____e ("warm and pleasant")—in short, eager to give care, affection, and guidance to someone younger, inexperienced, and beloved.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) 

"Avuncular" comes from a Latin word, avunculus, meaning "your mother's brother: your uncle on your mother's side," and more literally meaning "little grandfather."

Since the 1800s in English, we've used "avuncular" to mean "like an uncle." More specifically, someone or something avuncular reminds you of your uncle because they're kind, friendly, good-natured, loving, generous, and full of wisdom or authority.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an avuncular chuckle;" "His voice was patient and avuncular."

Other forms: 

The adverb is "avuncularly," and the noun, "avuncularity."

How about a feminine word to pair with "avuncular" that means "loving and warm, like one's aunt?" That's "materteral," but it's very rare.

how to use it:

Pick the semi-common word "avuncular" to describe a kindly older man with a heart of gold.

You might talk about avuncular people, personalities, characters, and actors.

Or, talk about someone's avuncular laugh or voice, or about someone's avuncular charm, wisdom, affection, gentleness and so on.

And, notice that "avuncular" almost always describes men, though some writers do occasionally apply the word regardless of gender. Unfortunately, the feminine equivalent, "materteral" ("lovingly aunt-like") hasn't caught on.

examples:

"Dave Thomas, the avuncular founder of Wendy's, made his first million as a KFC franchisee."
  — Tim Carman, Washington Post, 1 May 2018

"In 'The Last Jedi,' [Mark Hamill] doesn't just rock a hoodie and a goatee; his role as a grizzled, avuncular presence suits him better than earnest leading-man status ever did... Hamill's unexpected gravitas, offset by a faint twinkle of humor, acts as a kind of veteran's seal of approval."
  — Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 12 December 2017

has this page helped you understand "avuncular"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "avuncular" without saying "doting" or "affectionate."

try it out:

Thinking of a television show or a series of books that you enjoy, talk about which character seems the most avuncular. What are some things they say or do to reveal their avuncular nature?

For me, that'd be Shepherd Book on the show Firefly. 

He's wise and practical: "The important thing is the spices. A man can live on packaged food from here 'til Judgment Day if he's got enough rosemary."

He gives moral guidance without proselytizing: "[The Bible is] not about making sense. It's about believing in something, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life."

And he's caring, gentle, and funny:

Inara: "So. Would you like to lecture me on the wickedness of my ways?"
Book: "No, I brought you supper. Although if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped. Sin and hellfire... one has lepers."

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is Subject Line Matching!

Try matching each capitalized term below with the email subject line that I used to introduce it. For an extra challenge, try recalling what each term means and how the subject line connects to it. 

Try this last set today:

GREEBLE: _____________
HOFSTADTER'S LAW: _____________
NIGGLE: _____________
PRE-EMPT & PRE-EMPTIVE: _____________
TUMULT: _____________

how can you Frisbee a sliced pizza?
I'll be ready in 5 minutes
Millennium Falconry
shhh... just go
that's swell

To see the correct answers, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. A near opposite of AVUNCULAR is

A. COLD or DISTANT.
B. SMART or ERUDITE.
C. CHARMING or RAFFISH.

2. Ted Danson plays the avuncular character Michael on The Good Place, _____ as he welcomes Eleanor to the afterlife.

A. grinning and cackling maniacally
B. smiling and chuckling indulgently
C. staring and sniggering awkwardly

Answers to the review questions: 1. A 2. B From the game: GREEBLE: Millennium Falconry HOFSTADTER'S LAW: I'll be ready in 5 minutes NIGGLE: how can you Frisbee a sliced pizza? PRE-EMPT & PRE-EMPTIVE: shhh... just go TUMULT: that's swell

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.