half brother

American  

noun

1. brother.

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half-brother British  

noun

1. the son of either of one's parents by another partner

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Usage

What does half brother mean? A half brother is a brother who is related to his sibling(s) through only one parent.This typically means that they share only one biological parent (not both). For example, when a person’s parent has a son with another partner (who is not the person’s parent), the son is considered the person’s half brother.The term half sister is used in the same way. Half-sibling is a gender-neutral way of saying the same thing.In contrast, the words stepbrother, stepsister, and stepsibling refer to those who have a sibling relationship (often based on the remarriage of their parents to other partners) but who do not share a biological parent.The word half in half brother and its related terms only refers to the biological relationship. Half brothers may have close relationships with their siblings, and many people simply call their half brother their brother.Modifiers such as maternal and paternal are sometimes used to specify which biological parent the siblings have in common.Example: Over the holidays, I got together with my maternal half brother and my paternal half sister and we had a great time.

Etymology

Origin of half brother

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Compare meaning

How does half-brother compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• half brother vs. stepbrother

Example Sentences

A brother and sister in Utah were fighting over their late father John Heater’s estate when the brother reached out to a man he thought might be their half brother.

From The Wall Street Journal

She’s on her way to that goal when she takes a tumble that injures her passenger, her delicate younger half brother, Eddie.

From Washington Post

At the same time, Moscow is courting sympathizers inside Chad’s ruling elite, including cabinet ministers and a half brother of the president.

From New York Times

She and her subservient siblings all spurned their poor half brother, Lymp, and lived together in an imposing mansion.

From Washington Post

In December, a half brother who worked there as a manager helped Leonard get a job as a runner.

From Washington Post