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

Eugenie’s baby girl will enter the succession 15th in the line to the throne, after her big brothers, August and Ernest. — Charlotte Walsh, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026

The Dallas Zoo said the baby's big brother, Okubili, was there to welcome him to the herd, along with fellow elephants Jenny and Gypsy. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

But playing big brother to his teammates, has been a joyous subplot. — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026

In the meantime, David has been declared dead, his little brother is now his big brother, and — perhaps weirdest of all — music videos are now a very big thing on MTV. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 Aug. 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