brother

brother — noun

1. a male child or adult in your family, born to the same two parents as you or sha

1.nounA1
Definition

a male child or adult in your family, born to the same two parents as you or sharing one parent with you

Example

My older brother fixed my bike before school started.

older brother in a family context

When Aiko moved to Osaka, her brother called every Sunday night.

brother as family member

Common collocations
  • older brother
  • younger brother
  • big brother
  • little brother
  • baby brother
Synonyms
  • sibling

    gender-neutral and more formal; it can mean a brother or a sister

  • half brother

    narrower; used when you share only one parent

  • stepbrother

    used for a brother gained through a parent's new marriage, not by birth

Grammar Patterns

older brother

younger brother

big brother

little brother

Usage Note

Most often used with family words such as 'older', 'younger', 'big', or 'little'. When the relationship is not from the same two parents, English often makes that clear with words like 'half brother' or 'stepbrother'.

Common Mistakes

He is my elder brother than me.
He is my older brother.
use 'older brother' for the family relationship; 'elder' is more limited and does not take 'than'.

2. a man linked to your group, movement, or shared beliefs, often addressed as brot

2.nounB2
Definition

a man linked to your group, movement, or shared beliefs, often addressed as brother within it

Example

At the union hall, older workers called each other brother.

call each other brother in a group

During the march, another brother from the housing group handed Ravi a bottle of water.

brother for a man in the same movement

Common collocations
  • call someone brother
  • union brothers
  • fraternity brothers
  • Brother Omar
  • brothers in the movement
Synonyms
  • comrade

    often sounds political or strongly tied to a shared cause

  • fellow member

    clear and neutral, but less warm and less personal

  • brother-in-arms

    narrower; stresses struggle or hardship faced together

Antonyms
  • outsider

    someone not included in the group

Grammar Patterns

call someone brother

brothers in the union

fraternity brothers

Brother + name in a group

Usage Note

Usually tied to a shared group identity such as a union, fraternity, movement, or religious community. Distinguish from noun/1: this sense is about belonging together, not about family.

Common Mistakes

All the brothers in my office helped me.
All the men in my office helped me.
this sense needs a real shared group identity, not just a workplace with male coworkers.

3. used by some Black men when speaking to or about another Black man

3.nounC1
Definition

used by some Black men when speaking to or about another Black man

Example

After the game, an older Black man said, 'Good job, brother.'

direct address: brother

At the Black church picnic, one brother saved Marcus a seat by the grill.

brother in a Black community setting

Common collocations
  • say brother
  • call each other brother
  • good job, brother
  • every brother there
Synonyms
  • bro

    much broader and not tied to this community-specific use

  • man

    far more general; it does not carry the same shared-identity meaning

Grammar Patterns

say brother to someone

call another man brother

Usage Note

Common as a direct form of address or a warm reference inside Black communities. Learners should treat it as community-specific rather than as a neutral everyday substitute for 'man' or for noun/1.

4. a title placed before a man's name in some religious communities, especially for

4.nounB2
Definition

a title placed before a man's name in some religious communities, especially for a monk or another male member

Example

Brother Thomas opened the chapel doors before sunrise.

title: Brother + name

After class, the children thanked the brother who taught music at the village school.

the brother + role in a religious community

Common collocations
  • Brother Thomas
  • Brother Paolo
  • religious brother
  • brother at the monastery
Synonyms
  • monk

    narrower; many brothers are monks, but not every religious brother is described that way

  • friar

    more specific to certain Christian religious orders

Grammar Patterns

Brother + name

the brother at the monastery

brother in a religious order

Usage Note

Placed before a name or used as a title inside a religious order. Distinguish from noun/2: noun/2 can refer to many kinds of groups, but this sense is specifically tied to religious life.

Common Mistakes

Brother John is a brother in the army.
Brother John is a brother in the monastery.
this title belongs to some religious communities, not to military ranks.

Word family

  • brotherly
    adjectiveC1
  • brotherhood
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, 'brother' is the normal everyday word for a male sibling. 'Sibling' is broader and more formal because it can mean either a brother or a sister. 'Half brother' is more exact when two people share only one parent. 'Stepbrother' is used when the family connection comes from a parent's marriage, not from birth. 'Twin brother' adds the special idea that the two boys were born at the same time. In ordinary conversation, people usually say simply 'my brother' unless the exact family relationship matters. Compare: 'My brother lives in Tainan,' 'My half brother lives with his dad,' and 'Her twin brother was born five minutes later.'

brother ↗sibling ↗half brotherstepbrothertwin brother

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

'Brother' comes from Old English 'brothor', which was part of an old family word found across Germanic languages. Its deeper history goes back to a very old Indo-European root for a male sibling. Because the word is ancient and basic, English later extended it from family use to group membership, forms of address, and religious titles.