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

Aaron’s big brother Nick, better known as the heartthrob of the Backstreet Boys, was paving the way for the young singer, showing him the ropes of stardom. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 15 Apr. 2025

From Zac Efron's brother Dylan — who has very much established his own star power — to Dakota Johnson's very handsome big brother Jesse, in honor of National Siblings Day see some of the hottest siblings in Hollywood. —Amy Jamieson, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Holt became a big brother figure, guiding him through everything from finding the credential booth to navigating in-play situations. —Mike Dojc, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025

What was your reaction to Will throwing your last plank in the water and shouting out Big Brother superiority? —EW.com, 26 Mar. 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