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

Click the video below to see a sweet brotherly reunion filled with the kind of hug that comes with happy tears and pure joy. —Ronnie Li, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

That's brotherly love right there. —Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025

After the Jaguars’ 26-10 win, the brothers exchanged jerseys on the field, hugged, talked, did the ceremonial brotherly things. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025

Liam, the brother who clearly wanted this reunion the most, and wore the inability to re-consummate the brotherly relationship like an open wound, is still given mostly to jokes on stage more than serious statements or anything that patronizes the audience. —Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Sep. 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