fraternity
Americannoun
-
a local or national organization of male students, primarily for social purposes, usually with secret initiation and rites and a name composed of two or three Greek letters.
-
a group of persons associated by or as if by ties of brotherhood.
-
any group or class of persons having common purposes, interests, etc..
the medical fraternity.
-
an organization of laymen for religious or charitable purposes; sodality.
-
the quality of being brotherly; brotherhood.
liberty, equality, and fraternity.
-
the relation of a brother or between brothers.
noun
-
Gender-neutral form: community. a body of people united in interests, aims, etc
the teaching fraternity
-
brotherhood
-
a secret society joined by male students, usually functioning as a social club
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fraternity
1300–50; Middle English fraternite < Latin frāternitās. See fraternal, -ity
Explanation
A fraternity is a group of people who work in the same industry or have similar careers. Your dad's fraternity of firefighters holds lots of charity events and get-togethers. Most often, a fraternity is a social club or group made up of men, but it can refer to any organization of people with something in common. At a college or university, a fraternity is a club for men that's by invitation only. Members of these frats, as they are called, often live together in one house and socialize primarily with each other. Fraternity comes from the Latin word fraternitas, meaning "brotherhood."
Vocabulary lists containing fraternity
Anthem
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Catcher in the Rye
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stand in "Solidarity": 30 Words to Remind us English is at Least 30 Percent French
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Donald Gibb, the actor who played the hulking fraternity bro Ogre in “Revenge of the Nerds” and Ray “Tiny” Jackson in “Bloodsport,” has died.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
"Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is... through fraternity and authentic dialogue," Burch told journalists.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Their next-door neighbors are three Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity brothers developing AI that helps insurance companies sell more policies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Does he socialise much with the mysterious moss fraternity?
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
The Middle, so long as it was struggling for power, had always made use of such terms as freedom, justice, and fraternity.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
