big brother

noun

1

: an older brother

2

: a man who serves as a companion, father figure, and role model for a boy

3

Big Brother [Big Brother, personification of the power of the state in 1984 (1949) by George Orwell]

a

: the leader of an authoritarian state or movement

b

: an all-powerful government or organization monitoring and directing people's actions

Examples of big brother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jaquez was surrounded by her family and her big brother, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez, via Facetime. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

The party-goers were all impressed, but Chicago hilariously seemed more interested in running through the house and playing with big brother Saint than attending her own party! —Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026

There were no more real flare-ups — just Detroit (59-22) dominating the Hornets like a big brother dominating a little brother in a game of one-on-one. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026

For generations, students went to the bathroom without big brother watching just fine - the difference is that now, companies are making money off it. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for big brother

• another
• godmother
• grandmother
• stepbrother
• stepmother
• mother
• nother
• other
• smother
• souther