confraternity

[ kon-fruh-tur-ni-tee ]

/ ˌkɒn frəˈtɜr nɪ ti /

Save This Word!

noun, plural con·fra·ter·ni·ties.

a lay brotherhood devoted to some purpose, especially to religious or charitable service.

a society or organization, especially of men, united for some purpose or in some profession.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of confraternity

1425–75; late Middle English confraternite<Medieval Latin confrāternitās, derivative of confrāter (see confrere), on the model of Latin frāternitāsfraternity

OTHER WORDS FROM confraternity

con·fra·ter·nal, adjective

Words nearby confraternity

conformist, conformity, confound, confounded, confounding, confraternity, confrere, confront, confrontation, confrontational, confrontationist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use confraternity in a sentence

They, together with one brother, who is their chief, have charge of the government of the said confraternity.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
In the year five hundred and ninety-three, the Confraternity of La Misericordia was started in this city.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
If a member died at a distance from Rome three of the confraternity were sent to fetch the body.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
A chantry of the Confraternity of St. George, built on the north side of the new church, took the place of a north aisle.
Bell's Cathedrals: A Short Account of Romsey Abbey|Thomas Perkins

His stay in Limerick was particularly successful, and he founded a religious confraternity of laymen which numbered 5000 members.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for confraternity

confraternity

/ (ˌkɒnfrəˈtɜːnɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a group of men united for some particular purpose, esp Christian laymen organized for religious or charitable service; brotherhood

Derived forms of confraternity

confraternal, adjective

Word Origin for confraternity

C15: from Medieval Latin confrāternitās; see confrère, fraternity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012