brother

play

noun broth·er \ˈbrə-thər\

Definition of brother

plural

brothers

also

brethren

play \ˈbreth-rən; ˈbre-thə-rən, -thərn\

1 : a male who has the same parents as another or one parent in common with another
2 : one related to another by common ties or interests
3 : a fellow member —used as a title for ministers in some evangelical denominations
4 : one of a type similar to another
5a : kinsmanb : one who shares with another a common national or racial origin; especially : soul brother
6a capitalized : a member of a congregation of men not in holy orders and usually in hospital or school workb : a member of a men's religious order who is not preparing for or is not ready for holy orders a lay brother

See brother defined for English-language learners

See brother defined for kids

Examples of brother in a Sentence

We must support our brothers and sisters fighting overseas.
the brothers in a monastery

Recent Examples of brother from the Web

Veil survived the Holocaust, but her mother, father and brother did not.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "France’s Simone Veil Will Become the Fifth Woman Buried in the Panthéon", 6 July 2017
Her father and brother perished, somewhere, in the east.

— The Economist, "LiberatedObituary: Simone Veil died on June 30th", 5 July 2017
Marano is survived by his Eileen; his children, Michelle, Richard Jr., and Christine; and his two brothers, Albert and John Marano.

— anne m. hamilton, courant.com, "Extraordinary Life: A Student Of Politics, And Law", 5 July 2017
That was the last time Yoshitada Nishikaichi saw his older brother.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "More than 75 years after Pearl Harbor, relics return to dead Japanese aviator's family", 3 July 2017
Patron entered with a smaller group but still impactful as his brother, El Hijo de Dos Caras, and their father, Dos Caras, watched from around the ring.

— jim varsallone, miamiherald, "King in Lashley’s corner, Patron still wins at Slammiversary XV", 3 July 2017
His older brother, sleeping nearby, lost a leg at the same time.

— sue ellen ross, Post-Tribune, "New book captures details of 1955 Whiting refinery explosion", 30 June 2017
The PSA stars the Dietz sisters' younger brothers, William, 5, and Benjamin, 10, and family friend Jared Richard, who is 18 years old.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Anti-drug PSAs made by Harford youths appear in movie theaters starting today", 30 June 2017
Alma's mother and brother were both with her during the attack.

— CBS News, ""It melted my clothes off": Teen survives acid attack in Texas", 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brother'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.