Big Brother Definition
noun
An older brother.
American Heritage
One's older brother.
Webster's New World
A man who assumes the role of an older brother, as by providing guidance or protection.
American Heritage
A man who undertakes the role of friend and mentor to a disadvantaged boy, as through a social agency.
Webster's New World
An omnipresent, seemingly benevolent figure representing the oppressive control over individual lives exerted by an authoritarian government.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
pronoun
The nominal leader of Oceania in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Wiktionary
By extension, a disparaging name for government surveillance considered to be too intrusive.
Wiktionary
Wiktionary
Unwarranted, invasive, and discreet surveillance, especially of a people by its government.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Big Brother
Noun
Singular:
big brother
Plural:
big-brothersOrigin of Big Brother
Sense 3, after Big Brother , a character in the novel 1984 by George Orwell
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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