sibling

[ sib-ling ]

noun

1. a brother or sister.
2. Anthropology. a comember of a sib, a unilateral descent group thought to share kinship through a common ancestor.

adjective

1. of or relating to a brother or sister:

   sibling rivalry.

sibling

/ ˈsɪblɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. a person's brother or sister
   2. ( as modifier )

      sibling rivalry

2. any fellow member of a sib

Other Words From

• half-sibling noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sibling¹

before 1000; late Middle English: relative, Old English; sib, -ling ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sibling¹

C19: specialized modern use of Old English sibling relative, from sib ; see -ling ¹

Example Sentences

Her adopted daughter tried to suffocate a younger biological sibling.

From The Daily Beast

After losing her father and young sibling to Ebola, 6-year-old Liberian Miatta Urey is a symbol of hope in the midst of tragedy.

From The Daily Beast

My father lost his last surviving sibling, my Aunt Sally, in 2007.

From The Daily Beast

Wendy Kramer is co-founder, with her donor-conceived son Ryan, of the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR).

From The Daily Beast

“Go on then,” she said, as if humoring a grating younger sibling.

From The Daily Beast

We saw on our left the large monastery of Delaling, and, a little way off, the Gomba of Sibling.

From Project Gutenberg

The extended family groupings in terms of matrilocal residence or centered around a sibling group are amorphous but flexible.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• brother
• relative
• sister