brother

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A boy or man who has the same parents as you, or one parent in common.

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a brother', 'two brothers', or 'my brother'. The plural is 'brothers'.

   Patterns

   • someone's brother
   • an older/younger brother
   • brothers and sisters

   My brother is two years older than me.

   He has three brothers and one sister.

   I saw your brother at the supermarket yesterday.

2. 2nouncountablereligion

   A man who is a member of the same religious group, or a fellow member of a group.

   Grammar: Often used as a title before a name or as a form of address: 'Brother John', 'Hello, brother'.

   Patterns

   • Brother + name
   • a fellow brother
   • brothers in Christ

   Brother Michael led the morning prayer.

   The monks greeted each other as brothers.

   He is a brother in the same fraternity.

3. 3nouncountableinformal

   A close male friend or comrade, used especially in informal speech.

   Grammar: Often used to address someone directly: 'Hey, brother!' It shows closeness or solidarity.

   Patterns

   • Hey, brother!
   • my brother
   • brothers in arms

   Thanks for having my back, brother.

   He's like a brother to me after all these years.

   The soldiers fought side by side as brothers.

Word forms

Common combinations

older brother

My older brother taught me how to ride a bike.

younger brother

His younger brother is still in school.

big brother

My big brother always looked out for me.

brother and sister

The brother and sister ran the family bakery together.

twin brother

He has a twin brother who looks exactly like him.

Synonyms and how they differ

sibling

A gender-neutral word for a brother or sister; 'brother' specifically means a male sibling.

buddy

Informal word for a friend; 'brother' can also mean a close friend but often carries a stronger bond.

Opposites

Word family

brotherly adjective

Showing the kind and protective feelings a brother has.

brotherhood noun

The relationship or group of brothers or close male friends.

bro noun

Very informal short form for brother or a male friend.

Commonly confused: brother or bother?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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