Meaning & use
fraternities
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“fraternities” is a form of “fraternity”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralAmerican
Social clubs, mainly at American colleges, whose members live and take part in activities together and are usually male.
Grammar: Plural of fraternity: one fraternity, several fraternities.
Patterns
- join one of the fraternities
- fraternities and sororities
Many fraternities hold charity events each spring.
Several fraternities on campus built their houses near the football field.
He chose not to join any of the fraternities in his first year.
nounpluralformal
Groups of people who share a profession, interest or aim and feel a bond with one another.
Grammar: Plural of the countable noun; the singular is often used for the whole group.
Patterns
- the fraternities of something
Old trade fraternities once protected the interests of skilled workers.
The medical and legal fraternities both supported the change.
Pilots form one of the closest fraternities in aviation.
Word forms
| singular | fraternity |
|---|
Common combinations
- join fraternities
- Some students join fraternities for the social life.
- fraternities and sororities
- Fraternities and sororities raised money for the hospital.
- college fraternities
- College fraternities often have strict rules about guests.
- rush fraternities
- New students rush fraternities in the fall.
- ban fraternities
- The university threatened to ban fraternities that broke the rules.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brotherhoods
- This is wider and can be religious or political, whereas fraternities in the first sense are specifically campus clubs.
- associations
- This is a neutral word for any organized group and carries none of the college or male-club feeling.
- societies
- Societies suggests clubs or academic groups and, unlike fraternities, is not tied to being male-only.
Opposites
Word family
- fraternity noun
- singular form, one club or brotherhood
- fraternal adjective
- relating to brothers or brotherly feeling
- fraternize verb
- to mix socially with others
- fraternization noun
- friendly mixing, often with people one should not mix with
Commonly confused: fraternities or sororities?
fraternities vs sororities
Sororities are the equivalent clubs for women at American colleges, while fraternities are usually for men.
Practice
At many American colleges, students can join ___ and sororities.
Choose one answer.
Fraternities is the plural noun paired with sororities. Fraternize is a verb and the other options are not words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fraternities”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.