sibling

[sib-ling]

noun

1. a brother or sister.

2. Anthropology.,  a comember of a sib, a unilateral descent group thought to share kinship through a common ancestor.

adjective

1. of or relating to a brother or sister.

   sibling rivalry.

sibling

/ ˈsɪblɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. a person's brother or sister

   2. ( as modifier )

      sibling rivalry

2. any fellow member of a sib

Other Word Forms

• half-sibling noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sibling¹

before 1000; late Middle English: relative, Old English; sib, -ling ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sibling¹

C19: specialized modern use of Old English sibling relative, from _sib ; see _-ling ¹

Example Sentences

She'd been swept away by flash floods; the bodies of her parents and three siblings had already been found days earlier.

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It might be granted that a reactionary is not a conservative’s identical twin — but he is a sibling living under the same roof.

Read more on Salon

Donovan Hepburn, who has five siblings in the choir and is behind the "crazy reunion plan" as director of its Legacy Project album, said it was great to see everyone together again.

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While other members started to re-organise themselves, the Tottenham-based siblings decided to pursue music on their own terms - a move that would come to define their careers.

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Kids are chatting or walking—solo, in pairs or trios—and a mother or granny holds a girl’s hand, probably waiting for an older sibling to come out of school.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• brother 
• relative 
• sister