half brother

American  

noun

1. brother.

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half-brother British  

noun

1. the son of either of one's parents by another partner

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Usage

What does half brother mean? A half brother is a brother who is related to his sibling(s) through only one parent.This typically means that they share only one biological parent (not both). For example, when a person’s parent has a son with another partner (who is not the person’s parent), the son is considered the person’s half brother.The term half sister is used in the same way. Half-sibling is a gender-neutral way of saying the same thing.In contrast, the words stepbrother, stepsister, and stepsibling refer to those who have a sibling relationship (often based on the remarriage of their parents to other partners) but who do not share a biological parent.The word half in half brother and its related terms only refers to the biological relationship. Half brothers may have close relationships with their siblings, and many people simply call their half brother their brother.Modifiers such as maternal and paternal are sometimes used to specify which biological parent the siblings have in common.Example: Over the holidays, I got together with my maternal half brother and my paternal half sister and we had a great time.

Etymology

Origin of half brother

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Compare meaning

How does half-brother compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• half brother vs. stepbrother

Example Sentences

A brother and sister in Utah were fighting over their late father John Heater’s estate when the brother reached out to a man he thought might be their half brother.

From The Wall Street Journal

His family suffered other tragedies, such as his father’s shooting death from a hate crime and the drowning deaths of two of his half brothers.

From Los Angeles Times

Then there was the time spent visiting a sister in rehab and the day she learned she had a half brother from one of her father’s affairs.

From Los Angeles Times

The government also brought to the United States a pair of half brothers — only one of whom, said to be 7, is an American citizen.

From New York Times

At the same time, the Kremlin was courting sympathizers within Chad’s ruling elite, including cabinet ministers and a half brother of the president.

From New York Times