brotherhood
Americannoun
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the condition or quality of being a brother or brothers.
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the quality of being brotherly; fellowship.
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a fraternal or trade organization.
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all those engaged in a particular trade or profession or sharing a common interest or quality.
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the belief that all people should act with warmth and equality toward one another, regardless of differences in nationality, creed, ethnicity, etc.
noun
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the state of being related as a brother or brothers
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an association or fellowship, such as a trade union
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all persons engaged in a particular profession, trade, etc
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the belief, feeling, or hope that all people should regard and treat one another as equals
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of brotherhood
1250–1300; Middle English brithirhod ( see brother, -hood); replacing early Middle English brotherhede; see -head
Explanation
The relationship between a boy or man and his male siblings is known as brotherhood. Feeling that kind of connection with other people, even if you're not related, is also a kind of brotherhood. This word is limited to the male gender; in families, brotherhood is the relationship between brothers. To include all of your siblings, you can use the term siblinghood. Members of fraternal organizations — clubs or societies of men with common interests or jobs — also feel a sense of brotherhood. A more inclusive name, one that would allow for all genders, might be kinship, alliance, or association.
Vocabulary lists containing brotherhood
Words from the 4th of July Songbook
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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Relationships
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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.
We have like a brotherhood and a friendship in real life.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
There’s so much decorum among judges, this infamous brotherhood of the robe, that keeps them from directly criticizing one another.
From Slate • May 18, 2026
Half Man explores the breakdown of their brotherhood and sees Niall struggle to accept his sexuality, while Ruben grapples with a trauma from his past.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
"We've got a brotherhood going right now and it's special."
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
It was a closed and grandly intolerant brotherhood.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
