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

In short, The Paper doesn’t quite escape the shadow of its big brother, but that’s just fine with us. —Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

Teddi, named after LeCroy’s late father, arrived on June 29, 2025, officially making LeCroy’s 12-year-old son, Hudson, a big brother and Randle a first-time dad. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 10 Sep. 2025

Josh Brolin, who played big brother Brandon Walsh, expressed hesitance about a second movie. —Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025

The Red Sox also pulled off a sweet surprise, flying the younger Garcia to New York for his big brother’s MLB debut at Yankee Stadium. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

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