brotherly

adjective

broth·​er·​ly ˈbrə-t͟hər-lē 

1

: of or relating to brothers

2

: natural or becoming to brothers : affectionate

brotherly love

brotherliness noun

brotherly adverb

Synonyms of brotherly

• fraternal

Examples of brotherly in a Sentence

He gave his sister a brotherly hug.

He received brotherly support from his fellow priests.

Recent Examples on the Web

But through a bit of TV fame, and Ramsay’s signature yelling, ranting, exasperation and, in the end, brotherly wisdom, perhaps its restaurant dreams can come true. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Probably recordings of them complimenting one another and wishing each other a happy birthday and offering brotherly advice. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Their brotherly bond faced challenges when 17-year-old Harper was sentenced to life in prison for taking the life of their abuser. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Getz enjoys getting brotherly advice from Hoyer, who executed his own semi-rebuild in 2021 and worked under Theo Epstein on the 2012 Cubs rebuild that ignited the trend across baseball. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for brotherly

• motherly
• southerly

Kids Definition

brotherly

adjective

broth·​er·​ly ˈbrət͟h-ər-lē 

1

: of or relating to brothers

2

: kindly entry 1 sense 2, affectionate

brotherliness noun