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definitions

fraternal

[ fruh-tur-nl ]
/ frəˈtɜr nl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fraternal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or befitting a brother or brothers; brotherly.
of or being a society of men associated in brotherly union, as for mutual aid or benefit: a fraternal order; a fraternal association.

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RELATED WORDS

congenial, friendly, intimate, kind

Nearby words

frass, frat, fratch, fratching, frater, fraternal, fraternal insurance, fraternal society, fraternal twin, fraternal twins, fraternally

Origin of fraternal

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin frātern(us) fraternal (derivative of frāter brother) + -al1
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fraternal

British Dictionary definitions for fraternal

fraternal

/ (frəˈtɜːnəl) /

adjective

of or suitable to a brother; brotherly
of or relating to a fraternity
designating either or both of a pair of twins of the same or opposite sex that developed from two separate fertilized ovaCompare identical (def. 3)
Derived Formsfraternalism, nounfraternally, adverb

Word Origin for fraternal

C15: from Latin frāternus, from frāter brother
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

Word Origin and History for fraternal

fraternal

adj.

early 15c., from Middle French fraternel and directly from Medieval Latin fraternalis, from Latin fraternus "brotherly" (see fraternity). The noun meaning "fraternal twin" is recorded by 1911.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for fraternal

fraternal

[ frə-tûr′nəl ]

adj.

Of or relating to brothers.
Of, relating to, or being a twin developed from two separately fertilized ova; dizygotic.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.