brotherhoods

noun

plural of brotherhood
1
as in organizations
a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest they're a brotherhood of retired war veterans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in fraternities
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 & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brotherhoods The most recognizable are Semana Santa, or Holy Week, processions during the final week of Lent where brotherhoods and robed penitents parade ornate statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary through cities, towns and villages alongside marching bands. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026 The most recognizable are Holy Week processions during the final week of Lent where brotherhoods and robed penitents parade ornate statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary through cities, towns and villages alongside marching bands. — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026 Over this week, 61 Catholic brotherhoods snake through the city along the official parade route to Seville's Gothic cathedral and then back to their home churches. — Alexis Marshall, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026 Those meaningful bonds, or brotherhoods, are constantly at risk of being curtailed. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brotherhoods
  1. organizations
  2. fraternities
  3. associations
  4. corps
  5. societies
  6. professions
  7. institutions
  8. institutes
Noun
  • The disputes later spilled into the courts, with players challenging suspensions and the rival organizations pursuing competing legal claims.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Republicans sought to portray Osborn as a Democrat in disguise, pointing to his support from Democratic donors and organizations.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of organizations
Noun
  • Both fraternities have houses on the 3400 block of Powelton Avenue in University City.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Hazing involves requiring new or potential recruits to the military or college fraternities to perform strenuous, humiliating or dangerous tasks.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of fraternities
Noun
  • One interesting aspect of the law is that associations can impose aesthetic restrictions on energy-saving windows on association buildings that have more than 20 units but are not townhomes (residences attached side to side).
    — Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
  • He is expected to get support from some Southeast Asian countries and European associations critical of incumbent Gianni Infantino.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of associations
Noun
  • Morton graduated most of its linebacking corps from last season, but Candler jumped at the chance to help fill the void.
    — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Aside from one play, Westlake contained a talented Lake Travis receiving corps last week.
    — Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of corps
Noun
  • The team from Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland said analysis of hair in the royal tomb where cannabis seeds turned up, sheds new light on the plant's role in ancient societies.
    — Mary Evans, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Yet demographic change can also create opportunities, especially in societies whose institutions can adapt and that can make the right technological investments.
    — Daron Acemoglu, Time, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of societies
Noun
  • Last month, the CGT claimed there had been a big increase in the number of professions paying some employees less than the minimum wage.
    — Soph Warnes, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The new crop of candidates from health professions often work for large hospital systems and are interested in issues that align with Democratic priorities like public health, equity and affordability.
    — Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of professions
Noun
  • The federal government must provide predictable visa processes, and research institutions must sustain international collaboration.
    — Carole LaBonne, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The growing cultural presence of the Indian-American community is also being reflected in the Bay Area's civic institutions.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of institutions
Noun
  • Unlike the institutes on the Chronicle’s list, the group didn’t have to build anything around Scott’s name.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) launched ‘Hangang’, the nation’s sixth supercomputer at a ceremony attended by over 200 members from academia, research institutes and industry at its headquarters in Daejeon.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of institutes

Browse Nearby Words

brotherhood
brotherhoods
brotherly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brotherhoods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brotherhoods. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All