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

Oladokun credits Mahomes for his progress behind the scenes, going as far as calling him a big brother. —Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025

Other pics show the newborn laying on her father's shoulder, meeting her big brother at home and resting warmly in a pink fluffy blanket. —Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025

Barry Watson, who played big brother Matt Camden on The CW’s 7th Heaven, has joined Bad Survivor as an executive producer, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025

In one of the scenes, Kevin takes advantage of being alone in the house and starts rummaging through his big brother Buzz's belongings. —Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 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