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
From a big brother meeting his new baby brother for the first time to an unexpected reunion, siblings can help make life a little sweeter.
—
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
However, the juiciest tales surrounded his sibling rivalry with big brother.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2024
Their newest addition will join big brother Westin, whom the couple welcomed in November 2021.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Olivia and Spencer's dearest wish was to have their big brother home for the holidays.
—Allison Moses, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
His big brother joined in on a Monsters, Inc. group costume with his parents and their friends.
04 of 10
Something to Celebrate
Sabara and Trainor shared a joint Instagram post in honor of Riley's 1st birthday in 2022.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Ford had always trailed her big brother, Billy Graham, by 14 years.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024
There's the big brother versus little brother complex that everyone from both countries can understand- something similar to the relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Karen continues to dig deeper into the tragic death of Anka, worries about her charismatic yet flawed big brother Deeze, and puzzles over her own identity with a new friend, Shelley.
—Emil Ferris, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
However, the juiciest tales surrounded his sibling rivalry with big brother.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2024
Their newest addition will join big brother Westin, whom the couple welcomed in November 2021.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024
Olivia and Spencer's dearest wish was to have their big brother home for the holidays.
—Allison Moses, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024
His big brother joined in on a Monsters, Inc. group costume with his parents and their friends.
04 of 10
Something to Celebrate
Sabara and Trainor shared a joint Instagram post in honor of Riley's 1st birthday in 2022.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Ford had always trailed her big brother, Billy Graham, by 14 years.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024
There's the big brother versus little brother complex that everyone from both countries can understand- something similar to the relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Karen continues to dig deeper into the tragic death of Anka, worries about her charismatic yet flawed big brother Deeze, and puzzles over her own identity with a new friend, Shelley.
—Emil Ferris, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'big brother.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to big brother
Dictionary Entries Near big brother
Cite this Entry
“Big brother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20brother. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share