brotherly

adjective

broth·​er·​ly ˈbrə-t͟hər-lē 

1

: of or relating to brothers

2

: natural or becoming to brothers : affectionate

brotherly love

brotherliness noun

brotherly adverb

Synonyms

• fraternal

Examples of brotherly in a Sentence

He gave his sister a brotherly hug.

He received brotherly support from his fellow priests.

Recent Examples on the Web

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of TIFF, Cox and Cumming opened up about playing against type, returning to Scotland, and finding the humor and heart in a story about brotherly love. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025

To them, Belly’s brotherly ménage à trois and altar-dumping story is interesting, sure, but no more selfish and reckless than Celine, for instance, who sleeps with married men as a hobby. —Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025

In keeping with the sibling revelry on display all night, at one point Shultz sauntered over to older brother guitarist Brad Shultz and gave him a sweet brotherly shove after a bit of teasing. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025

Despite how badly things were left between Conrad and Jeremiah in the latest episode, their brotherly bond will endure, Briney says. —Julia Moore, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brotherly

• motherly
• southerly

Kids Definition

brotherly

adjective

broth·​er·​ly ˈbrət͟h-ər-lē 

1

: of or relating to brothers

2

: kindly entry 1 sense 2, affectionate

brotherliness noun