fraternity

[ fruh-tur-ni-tee ]

noun

, plural fra·ter·ni·ties.

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.

fraternity

/ frəˈtɜːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. a body of people united in interests, aims, etc Gender-neutral formcommunity

   the teaching fraternity

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

Other Words From

• inter·fra·terni·ty adjective
• nonfra·terni·ty noun plural nonfraternities

Word History and Origins

Origin of fraternity¹

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

Example Sentences

The school will establish a task force to monitor fraternities and sororities.

From Washington Post

The video went out after the SEC charged another Amazon employee in 2017 with leaking sensitive information a fraternity brother so the pair could make an illegal profit.

From Fortune

Then fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups joined in to build their living communities.

From MIT Technology Review

When the male soccer fraternity banned women from playing in 1921, it effectively quashed the competition.

From Freakonomics

Incredibly enough, another overlooked scope for the Crusader State armies relates to the bevy of urban militias who formed their own fraternities.

From Realm of History

Inside Higher Ed opened the question of banning frats in September after some schools began suspending fraternity activities.

From The Daily Beast

And an anonymous junior in a fraternity at Emory University feels similarly.

From The Daily Beast

And how do fraternity members feel about their organizations being on the chopping block?

From The Daily Beast

A sobering article on gang rape inside a UVA fraternity has Wahoo alumni like myself up in arms.

From The Daily Beast

From speaking with USC fraternity brothers, it almost seems worse for the boys.

From The Daily Beast

The Colorado resort fairly dripped with wealthy tourists and members of the sporting fraternity from everywhere.

From Project Gutenberg

The records of the church contain a singularly picturesque representation of the ancient customs of the fraternity.

From Project Gutenberg

In others where the expression continued in use the institution changed its character and became simply a religious fraternity.

From Project Gutenberg

We are ready for those noblemen and clergymen, for all the tonsured fraternity and their bishop to boot!

From Project Gutenberg

The fraternity had its common seal, and the ordinary powers and privileges of corporations.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• camaraderie
• guild
• sorority