brother

American  

[bruhth-er, bruhth-ur] / ˈbrʌð ər, ˈbrʌðˈɜr /

noun

brothers, plural brethren plural

1. a male offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; a male sibling.

2. Also called half brother.  a male offspring having only one parent in common with another offspring.

3. a stepbrother.

4. a male numbered among the same kinship group, nationality, ethnicity, profession, etc., as another; an associate; a fellow member, fellow countryman, fellow man, etc..

   a fraternity brother.

5. Ecclesiastical.

   1. (often initial capital letter) a male numbered among the lay members of a religious organization that has a priesthood.

   2. a man who devotes himself to the duties of a religious order without taking holy orders, or while preparing for holy orders.

6. brothers, all members of a particular racial or ethnic group, or of the human race in general.

   All men are brothers.

7. Slang. fellow; buddy.

   Brother, can you spare a dime?

8. Informal. a term used to refer to or address a fellow Black man; soul brother.

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interjection

1. Slang. (used to express disappointment, disgust, or surprise.)

brother British  

/ ˈbrʌðə /

noun

1. a male person having the same parents as another person

2. short for half-brother stepbrother

3. 1. a male person belonging to the same group, profession, nationality, trade union, etc, as another or others; fellow member

   2. ( as modifier )

      brother workers

4. comrade; friend: used as a form of address

5. Christianity

   1. a member of a male religious order who undertakes work for the order without actually being in holy orders

   2. a lay member of a male religious order

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interjection

1. slang an exclamation of amazement, disgust, surprise, disappointment, etc

Related Words

Brothers, brethren are plurals of brother. Brothers are kinsmen, sons of the same parents: My mother lives with my brothers. Brethren, now archaic in the foregoing sense, is used of male members of a congregation or of a fraternal organization: The brethren will meet at the church.

Other Word Forms

• brotherless
  adjective
• brotherlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of brother

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English brōthor; cognate with Dutch broeder, German Bruder, Old Norse brōthir, Gothic brothar, Sanskrit bhrātṛ, Greek phrā́tēr, Latin frāter, Old Irish bráthair, Old Church Slavonic bratrŭ

Example Sentences

Usyk, who has previously suggested he may have two more fights after Verhoeven, responded: "Let's do it, no problem. I am ready, brother."

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Growing up, Gallagher and his older brother played games like “Halo,” battling alien armies to save humanity from extinction.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

On Wednesday, the U.S. indicted Cuba’s Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel, on charges of ordering civilian aircraft shot down near the island nation in 1996.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

After their rental in North Carolina was condemned, the daughter said, they came with her husband and brother to Los Angeles to live with a relative, only to be rebuffed.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

“And when she kept joking how I should get my brother in line, I thought maybe she really was upset at me.”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Related Words

• relative
• twin