Jump to content

fraternity

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

[edit]
PIE word
*bʰréh₂tēr

From Middle English fraternite, borrowed from Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās, ultimately from frāter (brother).

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

fraternity (countable and uncountable, plural fraternities)

  1. The quality of being brothers or brotherly; brotherhood.
  2. A group of people associated for a common purpose.
    • 1611, Thomas Coryate, Coryat's Crudities hastily gobbled up in Five Months Travels in France, Italy, &c:
      Having now so amply declared unto thee most of the principal things of this thrice-renowned and illustrious city, I will briefly by way of an epitome mention most of the other particulars thereof, and so finally shut up this narration: there are reported to be in Venice and the circumjacent islands two hundred churches in which are one hundred forth-three pairs of organs, fifty-four monasteries, twenty-six nunneries, fifty-six tribunals or places of judgment, seventeen hospitals, six companies or fraternities, whereof I have before spoken; one hundred and sixty-five marble statues of worthy personages, partly equestrial, partly pedestrial, which are erected in sundry places of the city, to the honour of those that either at home have prudently administered the commonweal, or abroad valiantly fought for the same.
    • 1976 December 11, Linda Curtis, quotee, “Feminists Challenge 'Health Monopoly'”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 24, page 3:
      The decision of Judge Stafford [to dismiss the case] represents an exhibition of raw power wielded by the well-organized fraternities of the medical profession against consumer groups working in the interest of women's health care.
  3. (US, Philippines) A social organization of male students at a college or university; usually identified by Greek letters.

Synonyms

[edit]

Antonyms

[edit]
[edit]

Translations

[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

[edit]