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brother

noun
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broth·​er | \ ˈbrə-t͟hər How to pronounce brother (audio) \
plural brothers also brethren\ ˈbret͟h-​rən How to pronounce brethren (audio) ; ˈbre-​t͟hə-​rən , -​t͟hərn \

Definition of brother

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 : kinsman
b : 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 work
b : a member of a men's religious order who is not preparing for or is not ready for holy orders a lay brother

Examples of brother in a Sentence

We must support our brothers and sisters fighting overseas. the brothers in a monastery
Recent Examples on the Web Mary Trump, 55, a psychologist, is the daughter of Trump's elder brother, the late Fred Trump Jr. — David Jackson, USA TODAY, "'Far beyond garden-variety narcissism.' Book by Trump's niece paints him habitual liar and inept," 8 July 2020 More than 200 messages of peace, love and support followed McSally’s acknowledgement of her brother’s passing over Twitter. — Cleo Krejci, The Arizona Republic, "Martin McSally, Sen. Martha McSally's older brother, dies," 7 July 2020 Her 15-year-old and 6-year-old sons continue to mourn the loss of their older brother, Bykes said. — Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville teen arrested and accused of murdering Doss HS senior in May, police say," 2 May 2020 What's more, Gazaway's sister, Sterling, said her brother was not someone who was prone to violence and aggressiveness. — Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, "Family of man whom LMPD officers shot at a Kroger in 2019 still seek records on his death," 12 July 2020 His brother’s girlfriend was her roommate in Berkeley. — Sam Whiting, SFChronicle.com, "Margy Wilkinson, Berkeley protester for 60 years, dies at home at 76," 12 July 2020 His brother Phillip has been in and out of prison because of crimes related to his substance-abuse problems. — Washington Post, "Surgeon General Jerome Adams may be the nicest guy in the Trump administration. But is that what America needs right now?," 12 July 2020 Her brother Jason was also there with a severe head injury and in a coma. — Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, "‘Enjoying life to the fullest.’ IU cheerleader, Luke Recker’s ex-girlfriend deals with paralysis," 9 July 2020 His brother Daniel is also a junior on the team who finished top-eight in the GLVC in three events last season. — James Weber, The Enquirer, "More local high school stars now Division I athletes after Bellarmine moves up," 2 July 2020

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.

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First Known Use of brother

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for brother

Middle English, from Old English brōthor; akin to Old High German bruodor brother, Latin frater, Greek phratēr member of the same clan

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Time Traveler for brother

Time Traveler

The first known use of brother was before the 12th century

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Statistics for brother

Last Updated

1 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Brother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brother. Accessed 8 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for brother

brother

noun
How to pronounce brother (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of brother

: a boy or man who has one or both of the same parents as you
: a man who is from the same group or country as you
: a male member of a religious group

See the full definition for brother in the English Language Learners Dictionary

brother

noun
broth·​er | \ ˈbrə-t͟hər How to pronounce brother (audio) \
plural brothers also brethren\ ˈbret͟h-​rən \

Kids Definition of brother

1 : a male person or animal related to another person or animal by having one or both parents in common
2 : a fellow member of an organization

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More from Merriam-Webster on brother

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for brother

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with brother

Spanish Central: Translation of brother

Nglish: Translation of brother for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of brother for Arabic Speakers

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