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• big brother
  big brother

  noun

  an elder brother.
• Big Brother
  Big Brother

  noun

  a person, organization, etc, that exercises total dictatorial control

big brother

American  

noun

1. an elder brother.

2. (sometimes initial capital letters) a man who individually or as a member of an organized group undertakes to sponsor or assist a boy in need of help or guidance.

3. (usually initial capital letters) the head of a totalitarian regime that keeps its citizens under close surveillance.

4. (usually initial capital letters) the aggregate of officials and policy makers of a powerful and pervasive state.

5. Citizens Band Radio Slang. a police officer or police car.

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Big Brother British  

noun

1. a person, organization, etc, that exercises total dictatorial control

2. a television gameshow format in which a small number of people living in accommodation sealed off from the outside world are constantly monitored by TV cameras. Viewers vote each week to expel a person from the group until there is only one person left, who wins a cash prize

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Usage

What does Big Brother mean? A big brother can be an older male, related or not, who protects a younger person. Big Brother (usually uppercase) also refers to an omnipresent, usually governmental authority that monitors everyone's every move. How is Big Brother pronounced?[ big bruhth-er ]

Etymology

Origin of big brother

1860–65; 1949 big brother for defs. 3, 4, the epithet of a dictator in G. Orwell's novel 1984

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big brother Big Brother

"England is our big brother, and sometimes you don't want your big brother to do well, do you?"

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

At other times, Jeremy is sweet and docile, playing the big brother role with no difficulty.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

"She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble."

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

He’s never written a book either, but he’s just kind of like a big brother to me and we’ve had many conversations about this.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Plus Mr. Ray was looking out for me and I think Robbie was a little jealous, since that was his big brother.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

Following her departure from the Commons, Widdecombe appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and was a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother eight years later.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Her Strictly appearance was however to turn her into a reality TV star, when she joined such shows as "Celebrity Big Brother".

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Civil liberties campaigning group Big Brother Watch slammed the live facial recognition expansion as an "alarming escalation of an intrusive technology".

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

He also credited the festival for bringing him in contact with Joplin, who then was the lead singer of the rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

There, too, in tiny clear lettering, the same slogans were inscribed, and on the other face of the coin the head of Big Brother.

From "1984" by George Orwell