fraternity

[fruh-tur-ni-tee]

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.

fraternity

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• interfraternity adjective
• nonfraternity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fraternity¹

1300–50; Middle English fraternite < Latin frāternitās. See fraternal, -ity

Example Sentences

Friday from a fraternity house off campus on Greek Row about an unresponsive person who had possibly drowned.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There were three sororities and three fraternities when I was on campus.

Read more on Literature

In today’s market, with every firm running similar models on similar data, inefficiencies vanish like free beer at a fraternity party.

Read more on MarketWatch

But Rosenkranz has faced widespread criticism for his membership of a student fraternity known for its strident pan-German nationalism, and the country's main Jewish organisation has ruled out working with him.

Read more on Barron's

Now, thanks to “Gutfeld!,” those people have a standing invite to a subdued toga party hosted by the worst fraternity on this campus.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• camaraderie 
• guild 
• sorority