fraternity

American  

[fruh-tur-ni-tee] / frəˈtɜr nɪ ti /

noun

• fraternities
  plural

1. a local or national organization of male students, primarily for social purposes, usually with secret initiation and rites and a name composed of two or three Greek letters.

2. a group of persons associated by or as if by ties of brotherhood.

3. any group or class of persons having common purposes, interests, etc..

   the medical fraternity.

4. an organization of laymen for religious or charitable purposes; sodality.

5. the quality of being brotherly; brotherhood.

   liberty, equality, and fraternity.

6. the relation of a brother or between brothers.

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fraternity British  

/ frəˈtɜːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: community. a body of people united in interests, aims, etc

   the teaching fraternity

2. brotherhood

3. a secret society joined by male students, usually functioning as a social club

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfraternity
  noun
• interfraternity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fraternities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fraternity

1300–50; Middle English fraternite < Latin frāternitās. See fraternal, -ity

Explanation

A fraternity is a group of people who work in the same industry or have similar careers. Your dad's fraternity of firefighters holds lots of charity events and get-togethers. Most often, a fraternity is a social club or group made up of men, but it can refer to any organization of people with something in common. At a college or university, a fraternity is a club for men that's by invitation only. Members of these frats, as they are called, often live together in one house and socialize primarily with each other. Fraternity comes from the Latin word fraternitas, meaning "brotherhood."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fraternity fraternities

The New York Times reported Tuesday that two of the fraternity brothers were expelled, two more were suspended, and one who had already graduated was barred from campus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Following her initial allegations in 2024, Cornell shut down the fraternity and temporarily suspended the accused male students, two of whom were later expelled.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

The fraternity had been kicked off campus in 2015.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

In an interview with CBS, the BBC's US partner, Giuffra argued that his client, aged 20 at the time, was unable to provide consent because she was intoxicated when she arrived at the fraternity house.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Fischer and Hall were business rivals, but as prominent members of the high-altitude fraternity their paths frequently crossed, and on a certain level they considered themselves friends.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

This is not to say that fraternities are all bastions of abuse and vice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The other barrier to abolishing fraternities is their popularity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Since banning them has thus far proven unpopular and ineffective, the question seems to be: Can fraternities be reformed?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Next week we’ll ask, “In response to the ‘Cornell 7’ case, some suggest entirely getting rid of sororities and fraternities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Modeled on the fraternities then springing up on college campuses, the group took its name from the Greek word kuklos, meaning band.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• camaraderie
• guild
• sorority