fraternity

noun

fra·​ter·​ni·​ty frə-ˈtər-nə-tē 

plural fraternities

1

: a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or pleasure: such as

a

: a fraternal order

b

: guild sense 1

c

: a men's student organization formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters

d

: a student organization for scholastic, professional, or extracurricular activities

a debating fraternity

2

: the quality or state of being brothers : brotherliness

3

: persons of the same class, profession, character, or tastes

the racetrack fraternity

Synonyms

• association
• board
• brotherhood
• chamber
• club
• college
• congress
• consortium
• council
• fellowship
• guild
• gild
• institute
• institution
• league
• order
• organization
• society
• sodality

Examples of fraternity in a Sentence

an atmosphere of fraternity and cooperation

a firm believer in community service and a dedicated member of the local fraternity of Good Samaritans

Recent Examples on the Web

The two men, joined by two of their UCLA fraternity brothers, opened the park on March 21, 1964. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024

Strain and his Delta Chi fraternity brothers were visiting Nashville for their fraternity formal. —Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2024

Strain went missing after being kicked out of Luke's 32 Bridge Food and Drink Nashville's Lower Broadway while vacationing with fraternity brothers. —Sandy Mazza, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024

Strain, who traveled to Tennessee with his Delta Chi fraternity brothers as part of their annual group formal, was last seen by friends on March 8 after being asked to leave Luke Bryan’s bar restaurant in Nashville. —David Chiu, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024

In a message to its student body, the University of Missouri said that Strain had traveled to Nashville to attend his fraternity's spring formal event. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024

Strain had been visiting Nashville with friends from his college fraternity and went missing after he was kicked out of a bar in the city’s downtown. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024

Delta Chi shared a Facebook post asking for the public's help to locate their fraternity brother. —Evan Mealins, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024

Investigators have found the body of Riley Strain, a 22-year-old University of Missouri student who disappeared on March 8 after drinking with his fraternity brothers in the city's downtown. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fraternity

• inter-fraternity

Kids Definition

fraternity

noun

fra·​ter·​ni·​ty frə-ˈtər-nət-ē 

plural fraternities

1

: a social, honorary, or professional organization

especially : a social club of male college students

2

: brotherhood sense 1, brotherliness