fraternal

adjective

frə-ˈtər-nᵊl How to pronounce fraternal (audio)
Definition of fraternalnext
as in familial
of, relating to, or befitting brothers there was a fraternal bond between the two boys all throughout their school years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 fraternal And within this triplet set, there's an identical twin set, and then the fraternal sibling. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The monument was donated by the Milwaukee Loyal Knights of the Round Table, an early 20th century fraternal service organization inspired by the legend of King Arthur. — Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2026 On Monday, the College Football Players Association (CFBPA)—an athlete advocacy organization—announced that a group of Stanford football players have formed the first CFBPA fraternal association. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 July 2026 List current memberships in civic, fraternal, legal or social organizations. — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fraternal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraternal
  1. familial
  2. brotherly
Adjective
  • The old cemetery was an appropriate location for the familial prank.
    — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • But my grandmother’s note also gave me a chilling glimpse of the familial tension that Dad held coiled inside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of familial
Adjective
  • Five years earlier my brother had gotten married, leaving me home alone without the buffers of his distracted affection, his big brotherly insouciance, his rebellious indifference to the emotional chasm widening between our parents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But through a bit of TV fame, and Ramsay’s signature yelling, ranting, exasperation and, in the end, brotherly wisdom, perhaps its restaurant dreams can come true.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of brotherly

Browse Nearby Words

franticness
fraternal
fraternities
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fraternal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraternal. Accessed 3 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 candidate

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'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 SCRABBLE Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

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
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All