brotherhood

1 a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest they're a brotherhood of retired war veterans Synonyms board, association, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild (also gild), institute, institution, league, order, organization, society, sodalityRelated Words collective, commune, community, cooperative; alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership; body, cadre, group; circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, junto, klatch (also klatsch), lot, set; crew, outfit, party, squad, team; branch, chapter, local; faithful, fold, membership; sisterhood, sorority; cabal, camarilla, camorra, confederacy, conspiracy; band, gang, ring; cartel, combine, syndicate

2 the body of people in a profession or field of activity a family that has been part of the brotherhood of police officers for four generations Synonyms corps, community, fellowship, fraternity, sodality, vocationRelated Words calling, profession; association, club, federation, guild (also gild), organization, society

3 the feeling of closeness and friendship that exists between companions the brotherhood that existed between the medical missionaries and the villagers they served Synonyms companionship, camaraderie, community, company, comradery, comradeship, fellowship, societyRelated Words amity, benevolence, cordiality, friendliness, friendship, goodwill, kindliness; civility, comity, concord, harmony, rapport; charity, generosity; affinity, compassion, empathy, sympathy; chumminess, familiarity, inseparability, intimacy, nearness; affection, devotion, fondness, loveNear Antonyms forlornness, loneliness, lonesomeness

4 kindly concern, interest, or support in a display of brotherhood, other writers rushed to the defense of the jailed journalist Synonyms amity, benevolence, goodwill, charity, cordiality, cordialness, fellowship, friendliness, friendship, gemütlichkeit, good-fellowship, kindliness, neighborlinessRelated Words bonhomie, camaraderie, collegiality, community, companionship, company, comradeship; civility, comity, concord, harmony, rapport, rapprochement; charity, generosity; affinity, communion, empathy, kindness, sympathy, tolerance; altruism, philanthropy, selflessness, unselfishnessNear Antonyms disfavor, intolerance; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, hate, hatred, hostility, incivility, malice, rancor; belligerency, quarrelsomeness, querulousnessAntonyms ill will, malevolence, venom