fraternize
verb
Did you know?
O brother where art thou? In many an English word descended from the Latin noun frater, meaning “brother,” that’s where. Both fraternize and fraternal (meaning “of, relating to, or involving brothers”), for example, come to us by way of Medieval Latin from frater. Other frater progeny in English include friar and fraternity. Even brother itself shares a relationship with frater (albeit it a more distant one). These days, although fraternize can still apply to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it is often used in phrases, such as “fraternizing with the enemy,” implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided.
Examples of fraternize in a Sentence
Claire Franken, TVLine, 30 Mar. 2025
Jackson doesn’t believe in fraternizing with quarterbacks from opposing teams.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
There are rules against fraternizing with other departments, something Irving would typically care about.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
For example, while their living quarters were segregated at their garrison headquarters on Grenada, Black soldiers still fraternized with white ones, especially in taverns.
—Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fraternize
Cite this Entry
“Fraternize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fraternize. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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