brethren

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralformalreligion

   Fellow members of a religious community, society, or profession, thought of as brothers.

   Grammar: A plural noun taking a plural verb: the brethren were gathered.

   Patterns

   • our brethren
   • the brethren of something

   The preacher greeted his brethren at the door of the chapel.

   The brethren met each evening for prayer.

   He spoke on behalf of his brethren in the guild.

2. 2nounpluralarchaic

   An older plural of brother, meaning male siblings, now found mostly in old texts.

   Grammar: Archaic in this sense; modern English uses brothers for male siblings.

   In the old story, the brethren set out to find their father.

   The text refers to seven brethren who shared a farm.

   Antique legal documents sometimes list the heirs as brethren.

Common combinations

our brethren

We must care for our brethren in need.

brethren in faith

They welcomed their brethren in faith from other towns.

Christian brethren

The letter was addressed to the Christian brethren.

Plymouth Brethren

The Plymouth Brethren are a Christian group.

brethren of the order

The brethren of the order took a vow of silence.

Synonyms and how they differ

brothers

Brothers is the everyday plural and refers to siblings, whereas brethren sounds solemn and group-oriented.

fellows

Fellows means companions or colleagues and does not carry a religious feel.

comrades

Comrades suggests shared struggle, such as in war or politics, rather than shared faith.

brotherhood

Brotherhood names the group as one body, while brethren names its members.

Word family

brother noun

a male sibling or fellow member

brotherhood noun

a group of men united by a common aim or faith

brotherly adjective

like a brother, kind and caring

sistren noun

a rare, old plural for female fellows

Commonly confused: brethren or bretheren?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “brethren”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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