Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » fraternal

fraternal

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

The definition of fraternal is something like brothers, or an organization for men who have similar beliefs, or twins who are born at the same time but from different eggs.

(adjective)

If you have someone that you treat as if he were your brother, this is an example of a relationship would be described as fraternal.

See fraternal in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

of or characteristic of a brother or brothers; brotherly
of or like a fraternal order or a fraternity
designating twins, of either the same or different sexes, developed from separately fertilized ova and thus having hereditary characteristics not necessarily the same

Origin: ME < ML fraternalis < L fraternus, brotherly < frater, brother

Related Forms:

fraternalism noun
fraternally adverb

See fraternal in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

a. Of or relating to brothers: a close fraternal tie.
b. Showing comradeship; brotherly.
Of or constituting a fraternity: a fraternal association.
Biology Of, relating to, or being a twin developed from two separately fertilized ova; dizygotic.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French fraternel

Origin: , from Medieval Latin frāternālis

Origin: , from Latin frāternus

Origin: , from frāter, brother; see bhrāter- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: