brother
Americannoun
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brothers,
plural
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brethren
plural (Archaic)
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a male offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; a male sibling.
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Also called half brother. a male offspring having only one parent in common with another offspring.
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a stepbrother.
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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.
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Ecclesiastical.
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(often initial capital letter) a male numbered among the lay members of a religious organization that has a priesthood.
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a man who devotes himself to the duties of a religious order without taking holy orders, or while preparing for holy orders.
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brothers, all members of a particular racial or ethnic group, or of the human race in general.
All men are brothers.
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Brother, can you spare a dime?
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Informal. a term used to refer to or address a fellow Black man; soul brother.
interjection
noun
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a male person having the same parents as another person
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short for half-brother stepbrother
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a male person belonging to the same group, profession, nationality, trade union, etc, as another or others; fellow member
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( as modifier )
brother workers
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comrade; friend: used as a form of address
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Christianity
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a member of a male religious order who undertakes work for the order without actually being in holy orders
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a lay member of a male religious order
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interjection
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Vocabulary lists containing brother
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:
For years, Samiel Asghedom — Hussle’s brother, key business partner and estate administrator; known as Blacc Sam — didn’t feel comfortable releasing any new music from his younger brother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
When William Fleming, James’s brother, was voted his family’s representative for the 50 meter sprint, the pressure was palpable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Their brother, David, the quarterback picked No. 1 overall by the expansion Houston Texans in 2002, is Bakersfield Christian’s offensive coordinator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
“I think we’re all being overlooked,” said her brother, Sonny Haynes, who worries mining would reduce the family catch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
“This is Mariah. She’s new. And an artist. My brother, Levi.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Resident birds show more smarts than migratory ones, and city birds are sharper than their country brethren.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Television genealogists may point out that Colbert’s branch of the talk show family tree is still represented by his Comedy Central brethren on “The Daily Show,” including Stewart, and John Oliver on “Last Week Tonight.”
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
The U.S. players have made it abundantly clear that they respect their Canadian brethren.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
Our chickens, on the other hand, are treated abominably, packed in tightly with their germy brethren, raised in squalor, pumped with hormones, and only made clean at the end.
From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2026
‘I do this for the good of the legion, for the good of Rome. We must stand together with our Greek brethren!’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
The Brewers also drafted in the last two years the Ebel brothers from Corona, Brady and Trey, so when they make visits to Dodger Stadium, it’s a big deal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The brothers, who are dual British-US citizens, were arrested in Miami on 19 July.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
He is trying to help his younger brothers study in Italy, but said they face even greater challenges than he did.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
For a dual-sport athlete with big dreams like Pleasant, having mentors in his two brothers to lean on and gain advice from was everything he ever needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
It’s obvious the brothers have an easy rapport that shows how much they care about each other.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions 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.
