sister

noun

sis·​ter ˈsi-stər How to pronounce sister (audio)
1
: a female who has one or both parents in common with another
2
often capitalized
a
: a member of a women's religious order (as of nuns or deaconesses)
especially : one of a Roman Catholic congregation under simple vows
b
: a girl or woman who is a member of a Christian church
3
a
: a girl or woman regarded as a comrade
b
: a girl or woman who shares with another a common national or racial origin
especially : a Black girl or woman
4
: one that is closely similar to or associated with another
sister cities
5
chiefly British : nurse
6
a
: girl, woman
b
: person
usually used in the phrase weak sister
7
: a member of a sorority

Examples of sister in a Sentence

The sisters live in the convent.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The resort has a sister property, Highland Base, located deeper in the interior of the country in Kerlingarfjöll. Adam Morganstern, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 The plot centers on the three Dashwood sisters—the eldest and most sensible, Elinor; the more free-spirited Marianne; and the much younger Margaret—who are devastated by the passing of their father. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 July 2025 Vaughn Hillyard will join MSNBC as senior White House correspondent, as the network has hired a group of journalists for its team in advance of its split from Comcast and sister network NBC News. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 July 2025 Khloé Kardashian is taking a page out of sister Kylie Jenner's playbook and revealing every cosmetic procedure she's done over the years. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sister

Word History

Etymology

Middle English suster, sister, partly from Old English sweostor and partly from Old Norse systir sister; akin to Latin soror sister, Sanskrit svasṛ

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sister was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sister. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sister

noun
sis·​ter ˈsis-tər How to pronounce sister (audio)
1
: a female who has one or both parents in common with another individual
2
often capitalized : a member of a religious community of women : nun
3
a
: a fellow female member of a group
b
: a girl or woman who shares a common national or racial origin with another
4
: one that is closely similar to or associated with another
sister schools
sister ships
5
chiefly British : nurse entry 1 sense 2
sisterly adjective or adverb

Medical Definition

sister

noun
sis·​ter ˈsis-tər How to pronounce sister (audio)
chiefly British
: a head nurse in a hospital ward or clinic
broadly : nurse

More from Merriam-Webster on sister

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