fraternize

verb

frat·er·nize | \ ˈfra-tər-ˌnīz

fraternized; fraternizing

Definition of fraternize

1 : to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms fraternized with the other guests at the party

2a : to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders were ordered not to fraternize with the enemy

b : to be friendly or amiable

Other Words from fraternize Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about fraternize

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Other Words from fraternize

fraternization \ ˌfra-tər-nə-ˈzā-shən

\ noun

fraternizer \ ˈfra-tər-ˌnī-zər

\ noun

Did You Know?

Both fraternize and fraternal (meaning "of, relating to, or involving brothers") come to us, by way of Medieval Latin, from Latin frater, meaning "brother." Other frater descendants in English include friar, fraternity, and confraternity ("a society devoted especially to a religious or charitable cause"). Even brother itself shares a relationship with frater. These days, although fraternize can still refer to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it often occurs in contexts, such as fraternizing with the enemy, implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided.

Examples of fraternize in a Sentence

It is usually unwise to fraternize with your employees. don't fraternize just with people of the same race, religion, or social background

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to the probiotic trend that’s emerged over the past few years—and miracle tonic kombucha serving as its fizzy fuel—fraternizing with the bacteria that lives in our microbiome (yes, all 100 trillion of them) has become relatively normal. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Probiotic Skin Care Is Actually Worth It, According to Experts—and Here's Why," 8 Jan. 2019 The sequence of events seems essentially right, except for the quaint idea that Bobby—or anybody else who read a newspaper or gossip column over the previous twenty years—was unaware of Sinatra’s fraternizing with the Mob. — Lee Server, Town & Country, "The Real Reason Frank Sinatra Was Banned from the Kennedy White House," 7 Nov. 2018 Last month’s unprecedented cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with members of the security forces. — Rahim Faiez, The Seattle Times, "Afghan officials: IS bomber kills 20, Taliban kill 9 police," 17 July 2018 Ending the rule that says cheerleaders are not allowed to fraternize with players. — Molly Knight, Marie Claire, "NFL Cheerleaders Shamed for Being Too Sexy—and Not Having Sex at All," 1 May 2018 In one landmark case, Guardsmark LLC, a nationwide company that provided security guards banned its employees from fraternizing on or off-duty, dating or becoming overly friendly with coworkers or the company's clients. — Anchorage Daily News, "I’m dating a coworker who I don’t work with directly. Can my company legally require us to stop?," 7 May 2018 Policies that ban coworkers from fraternizing may face legal challenges. — Anchorage Daily News, "I’m dating a coworker who I don’t work with directly. Can my company legally require us to stop?," 7 May 2018 When the mains arrived my partner gleefully tucked into a cod roasted in butter fraternizing with a variety of clams; it was accompanied by a foamy garlic emulsion and laid atop a bed of fregola sarda, a small, round Italian pasta. — New York Times, "A Young Chef Swims Up-Seine in Paris," 5 May 2018 Like many of their NFL counterparts, the Saintsations cheer squad must adhere to a strict policy preventing dancers from fraternizing with football players. — Molly Knight, Marie Claire, "NFL Cheerleaders Shamed for Being Too Sexy—and Not Having Sex at All," 1 May 2018

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