fraternity

American  

[fruh-tur-ni-tee] / frəˈtɜr nɪ ti /

noun

plural

fraternities

1. 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.

2. a group of persons associated by or as if by ties of brotherhood.

3. any group or class of persons having common purposes, interests, etc..

   the medical fraternity.

4. an organization of laymen for religious or charitable purposes; sodality.

5. the quality of being brotherly; brotherhood.

   liberty, equality, and fraternity.

6. the relation of a brother or between brothers.

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fraternity British  

/ frəˈtɜːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: community.  a body of people united in interests, aims, etc

   the teaching fraternity

2. brotherhood

3. a secret society joined by male students, usually functioning as a social club

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Other Word Forms

• interfraternity
  adjective
• nonfraternity
  noun

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."

Example Sentences

"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

Stall-Ryan once was with a member of his fraternity at the University of Virginia and saw the man casually bet on the price of bitcoin on Kalshi.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

"Whilst he may no longer be able to say he's run all the London Marathons, he will always be part of that fraternity as one of the original 42," he says.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Does he socialise much with the mysterious moss fraternity?

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

Finally, he produces a term that denotes a coming together of both of those two things—to be countrymen is to experience romanitas as fellowship—and a fraternity between speaker and audience.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• camaraderie
• guild
• sorority