fraternity Hear it!

fraternity Definition

fra·ter·nity (frə tʉr′nə tē)

noun pl. -·ties

  1. the state or quality of being brothers; fraternal relationship or spirit; brotherliness
  2. a group of men (or, sometimes, men and women) joined together by common interests, for fellowship, etc.; specif., a Greek-letter college organization
  3. a group of people with the same beliefs, interests, work, etc. the medical fraternity

Etymology: ME fraternite < OFr fraternité < L fraternitas < fraternus: see fraternal

fraternity Synonyms

fraternity

n.

brotherhood, Greek letter society, fellowship; see organization 3.

fraternity Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • climb: Home to some truly spectacular peaks, they are renowned throughout Europe to the climbing fraternity.
  • shoot: This empty land is now the preserve of the hunting and shooting fraternity, and also of the walker and climber.
  • golf: Tomâs funeral service drew huge crowds, not only from the golfing fraternity.
  • join: Glad to hear you are joining a fraternity which will give you pleasure during your life.
  • boat: There's a café but it seems less popular with the boating fraternity.
  • race: This program will examine the dog racing fraternity in Ireland, particularly in the northwest.

Adjective modifier

  • Rosicrucian: The Double A was used as a headpiece in several books of the Rosicrucian fraternity, mostly during Bacon's time.
  • criminal: Sorry to hear about your brush with Dundee's criminal fraternity; I'm sure they'll get the bugger eventually.
  • diving: A submarine expert at the MOD said: " We are having substantial difficulties with some of the diving fraternity.
  • magic: Limiting his market to the magic fraternity, he has produced works for many major magic publications.
  • legal: I hope that the members of the legal fraternity can spare a few minutes of their precious time to advise me.
  • medical: These matched the odd notions going around in the more academic atmosphere of the medical fraternity in Alabama.

Modifies a noun

  • brother: My dad and he were from the same small town in North Dakota and were fraternity brothers together in college.
  • house: Arriving at 1:00 AM, he banged on the fraternity house door.

Noun used with modifier

  • yachting: Tarbert is a pleasant fishing town popular with the yachting fraternity.
  • angling: The Angling fraternity has a choice of fishing on the village pond, the Trent & Mersey canal or the River Trent.
  • caving: Even a mine explorer will find links with the like minded among the caving fraternity.
  • hunting: The area is also popular with the hunting fraternity.
  • sporting: He was a representative of the tougher element of the sporting fraternity.
  • sailing: But when dealing with the sailing fraternity in all its various guises, this is not as simple as it sounds.