fraternize
Americanverb (used without object)
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fraternizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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fraternized,
past participle, past
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fraternizing
present participle
-
to associate socially or romantically with people considered inappropriate company, often due to a difference in status, as between managers and subordinates, or professors and students.
Doctors fraternizing with interns is nothing new, but hospital management is considering stricter policies to discourage it.
-
to associate cordially or intimately with the people of a conquered country, enemy troops, etc., especially in violation of orders or rules.
Of the charges these officers are facing, the most serious is fraternizing with the enemy.
-
to associate in a fraternal or friendly way.
verb (used with object)
-
fraternizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fraternized,
past participle, past
-
fraternizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fraternizesimple
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fraternizessimple
-
have fraternizedperfect
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has fraternizedperfect
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am fraternizingprogressive
-
are fraternizingprogressive
-
is fraternizingprogressive
-
have been fraternizingperfect progressive
-
has been fraternizingperfect progressive
Past
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fraternizedsimple
-
had fraternizedperfect
-
was fraternizingprogressive
-
were fraternizingprogressive
-
had been fraternizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fraternize
First recorded in 1605–15; from French fraterniser, from Medieval Latin frāternizāre; see fraternal, -ize
Explanation
Guys, you may not realize it, but when you hang out with your buds, you fraternize; that is, you associate in a friendly fashion with other men as though they were your brothers. As your wives or girlfriends would be quick to tell you, there's an undercurrent of misbehavior to the term fraternize. At its most harmless, it means a kind of wild frat house behavior (frat or fraternity also coming from the Latin term fraternus, meaning "brotherly."). At its worst, there's an implication of illegality or skullduggery, as in the common phrase "fraternizing with the enemy." So party on, but don't be a traitor.
Vocabulary lists containing fraternize
The Handmaid's Tale
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And Then There Were None
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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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.
See Examples For:
Behind the scenes, Chung, who often goes by “E.S.” in the West, also is known to fraternize comfortably with Hyundai staff, the company’s auto dealers and others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
Superheroes-in-training are enrolled at Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, where they fraternize in between high-stakes competitions of strength and ability.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023
Though at one time it would have been unheard of to stoop below her blue-blooded heritage and fraternize with showbiz professionals, Lady Mary knows that Downton is an expensive estate to run.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2022
“Whereas James is actually quite personable, and I think goes out of his way to fraternize with everybody in the company.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2022
“Why don’t you get back in your truck? We’re not supposed to fraternize with other faction members.”
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
A multimillionaire entrepreneur fraternizes with a fish-tailed woman during a video shoot for an indie band.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2017
Even Chateaubriand praises the Republic, calls himself a Republican from inclination, fraternizes with Marrast, and receives the accolade from Béranger.
From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 06 Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes by Kuno Francke
He chases north the snowy owl, ornament of our winter woods, and fraternizes with the sinful sparrow.
From Minstrel Weather by Marian Storm
It is curious also to see how extremes meet; this theory of absoluteism "fraternizes" with that of socialism.
From Graham's Magazine Vol XXXIII No. 3 September 1848 by Various
After the show, the orchestra usually breaks up into parties for a final drink, or sometimes fraternizes with the last call and makes a bunch for supper at Sam Isaacs'.
From Nights in London by Thomas Burke
Commerce always fraternized with art and journalism in the magazine business, and Miranda needs to hear that this balance will stay if the magazine changes hands.
From Salon ● May 6, 2026
The former detective was fired in 2017 after an allegation was received that he had improperly paid a witness and had fraternized with people connected to criminal conduct.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 19, 2019
Xaysana’s case drew great attention when he was arrested last year because of unproven suspicions that some Thai celebrities with whom he fraternized were implicated in his activities.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2018
The U.S. and Russia have cooperated and fraternized marvellously in space even as their leaders were antagonizing each other.
From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2017
The soldiers who had fought each other so long and so fiercely fraternized like brothers, exchanged grim jests over the terrible past, and pledged future friendship.
From The Greater Republic A History of the United States by Charles Morris
Conveniently, by making sure any against-the-spousal-grain decision is also a thoughtful one, you inoculate yourself against behavior that would be legitimately disloyal: fraternizing with an ex who did something inexcusable.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2022
Most companies discourage executives from fraternizing with staff too intimately because of the messy conflicts it can create.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2022
He was criticized in a 2010 inspector general’s report for fund-raising from and fraternizing with bidders for a casino contract.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2021
Parole rules will no longer include fraternizing with others with a criminal record, or “conduct related to cannabis” that is legal under state law.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2021
He had rather guessed the Laphams would side with the Tories, but this was fraternizing with the troops at a great rate.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
