fraternal

adjective

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fra·ter·nal | \ frə-ˈtər-nᵊl

Definition of fraternal

1a : of, relating to, or involving brothers fraternal love

b : of, relating to, or being a fraternity or society a fraternal order a fraternal chapter house

2 : derived from two ova : dizygotic fraternal twins

3 : friendly, brotherly There was a fraternal feeling among the troops.

Other Words from fraternal Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing fraternal Learn More About fraternal

Other Words from fraternal

fraternalism \ frə-ˈtər-nə-ˌliz-əm

\ noun

fraternally \ frə-ˈtər-nᵊl-ē

\ adverb

Examples of fraternal in a Sentence

He belonged to a fraternal organization. There was a fraternal feeling among the troops.

Recent Examples on the Web Along with his fraternal twin Adam, Arimborgo rode the Naperville soccer boon in middle school before switching to an obsessive fascination with a new sport. — Patrick Z. Mcgavin, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2022 As the fraternal twin brother of Wanda, Pietro Maximoff (a.k.a. Quicksilver) is no stranger to Marvel fans. — Annie O’sullivan, Good Housekeeping, 7 June 2022 Miller, who grew up in a small town in Queensland, Australia, attended medical school with his fraternal brother, John. — New York Times, 23 May 2022 In a sunny district of Naples where everyone knows each other, Mario and Lino, two inseparable friends, live day by day in the monotony of neighborhood life until their fraternal friendship is put to the test. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Apr. 2022 Her fraternal grandfather, Dr. Mark Boucek, was involved in the world’s first baboon-to-baby heart transplant. — Matthew Vantryon, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2022 At his side is his brother Roy (Thomas Piper), who wears a bandage on his forehead as a symbol perhaps of his browbeaten fraternal identity. — Charles Mcnultytheater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2022 The Odd Fellows count themselves among other fraternal groups that were popular in the previous two centuries, such as the Shriners, Masons and Moose lodges. — Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2022 Among the factors contributing to its popularity, perhaps none mattered as much as the playful dynamic between the group’s two emcees, who were essentially fraternal foils. — The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 See More

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