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Fraternity definition

frə-tûrnĭ-tē
fraternities
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Frequency:
A group of men (or, sometimes, men and women) joined together by common interests, for fellowship, etc.; specif., a Greek-letter college organization.
noun
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A group of people joined by similar backgrounds, occupations, interests, or tastes.

The fraternity of bird watchers.

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(US) A social organization of male students at a college or university; usually identified by Greek letters.
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The quality or condition of being brothers; brotherliness.
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A body of people associated for a common purpose or interest, such as a guild.
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The definition of a fraternity is a brotherhood or a social group for men with shared interests and experiences.

An example of a fraternity is the Sigma Chi chapter at a university.

An example of a fraternity is the group of men that fought together in a war.

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The quality of being brothers or brotherly; brotherhood.
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A group of people associated for a common purpose.
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A group of people with the same beliefs, interests, work, etc.

The medical fraternity.

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A social organization at a college or university, traditionally consisting of male students and designated by Greek letters.
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The state or quality of being brothers; fraternal relationship or spirit; brotherliness.
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(roman catholic church) A sodality.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
fraternity
Plural:
fraternities

Origin of fraternity

  • Middle English fraternite from Old French from Latin frāternitās from frāternus fraternal fraternal

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās, ultimately from frāter (“brother”).

    From Wiktionary

Fraternity Sentence Examples

  • This latter aspect of the fraternity was to be satisfied by the contribution from each fellow of five dollars by way of initiation fee.

  • Jacopo Niccolini, one of a religious fraternity dedicated to consoling the last hours of condemned men, remained with him.

  • In 1795, as grandmaster of the Masonic fraternity, he laid the cornerstone of the new State House in Boston, and in this year also founded the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, becoming its first president.

  • The religious element was more prominent in Orcy's gild at Abbotsbury and in the fraternity at Exeter; their ordinances exhibit much solicitude for the salvation of the brethren's souls.

  • And in their indifference to the distinctions of race and nationality they merely accommodated themselves to the spirit which had become characteristic of chivalry itself, already recognized, like the church, as a universal institution which knit together the whole warrior caste of Christendom into one great fraternity irrespective alike of feudal subordination and territorial boundaries.

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