big brother
noun
an elder brother.
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big brother
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Big Brother
Big Brothernouna person, organization, etc, that exercises total dictatorial control
big brother
Americannoun
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an elder brother.
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(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.
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(usually initial capital letters) the head of a totalitarian regime that keeps its citizens under close surveillance.
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(usually initial capital letters) the aggregate of officials and policy makers of a powerful and pervasive state.
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Citizens Band Radio Slang. a police officer or police car.
Big Brother
British
noun
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a person, organization, etc, that exercises total dictatorial control
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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
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I suspect they are terrible for privacy, and I dread what the future brings with some big brother company knowing all my intimate health info but I am still grateful for how much they help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Of course, if Bailen ever drops a pass, big brother might give him a nasty look.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Luckily his big brother, still only 19 himself, appeared to spot it and was seen smiling up at him from the pitch.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
“I’ve seen him grow up; he’s seen me grow up. He’s my big brother in everything I do creatively and also in real life,” Stillz says about his bond with Bad Bunny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
When we were little, Colin was like the big brother we never had.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
Channel 4, which aired Big Brother and its spin-off programmes at the time Brand was a presenter, said it recognised the "profound impact of these crimes".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
A Big Brother housemate who prompted more than 7,000 complaints has been spoken to about his on-screen behaviour - but some fans say the show's not doing enough.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Now 18, Charlotte is a contestant in the latest series of Big Brother, something she has dreamed about for most of her life.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Otherwise you may find yourself in an empty parking lot, staring at where your Honda Accord used to be and wishing you hadn’t been so worried about Big Brother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
He had the feeling, though already at that time facts and dates were growing blurry, that he had known their names years earlier than he had known that of Big Brother.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
