noun pl. fraternities
- the state or quality of being brothers; fraternal relationship or spirit; brotherliness
- a group of men (or, sometimes, men and women) joined together by common interests, for fellowship, etc.; specif., a Greek-letter college organization
- a group of people with the same beliefs, interests, work, etc.: the medical fraternity
Origin:
ME fraternite < OFr fraternité < L fraternitas < fraternus: see fraternal