Standard Lemma guide

fraternal

adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /fɹəˈtɝnəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)nəl
  • CMU ARPABET: F R AH0 T ER1 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to a brother or brothers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or pertaining to a fraternity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Platonic or friendly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A society formed to provide mutual aid, such as insurance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A fraternal twin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

like or characteristic of or befitting a brother

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • brotherly feelings
  • close fraternal ties

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brotherly, brotherlike

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

(of twins) derived from two separate fertilized ova

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • fraternal twins are biovular

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: biovular

Antonyms: identical

9

adjective

Meaning 9

of or relating to a fraternity or society of usually men

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fraternal order

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

PIE word *bhréh2tēr Borrowed from Middle French fraternel, from Medieval Latin frāternālis (“fraternal”), from Latin frāternus (“of or pertaining to a brother, fraternal”), from frāter (“brother”).

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَخَوِيّ (ʔaḵawiyy) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Armenian: եղբայրական (eġbayrakan) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Belarusian: братэ́рскі (bratérski) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Belarusian: бра́цкі (brácki) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Bulgarian: бра́тски (brátski) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Catalan: fratern — of or pertaining brothers
  • Czech: bratrský — of or pertaining brothers
  • Danish: broderlig — of or pertaining brothers
  • Dutch: broederlijk — of or pertaining brothers
  • Finnish: veljellinen — of or pertaining brothers
  • Finnish: veljes- — of or pertaining brothers
  • French: fraternel — of or pertaining brothers
  • Galician: fraterno — of or pertaining brothers
  • Galician: fraternal — of or pertaining brothers
  • German: brüderlich — of or pertaining brothers
  • Greek: αδελφικός (adelfikós) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Hindi: भ्रात्रीय (bhrātrīya) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Ido: fratala — of or pertaining brothers
  • Ido: fratatra — of or pertaining brothers
  • Irish: bráthartha — of or pertaining brothers
  • Irish: bráithriúil — of or pertaining brothers
  • Irish: deartháiriúil — of or pertaining brothers
  • Italian: fraterno — of or pertaining brothers
  • Italian: fraternale — of or pertaining brothers
  • Macedonian: братски (bratski) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Manx: braaroil — of or pertaining brothers
  • Norwegian Bokmål: broderlig — of or pertaining brothers
  • Polish: braterski — of or pertaining brothers
  • Portuguese: fraterno — of or pertaining brothers
  • Portuguese: fraternal — of or pertaining brothers
  • Romanian: de frate — of or pertaining brothers
  • Romanian: fratern — of or pertaining brothers
  • Romanian: frățesc — of or pertaining brothers
  • Russian: бра́тский (brátskij) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Sanskrit: भ्रात्रीय (bhrātrīya) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Scottish Gaelic: comh-bhràthaireil — of or pertaining brothers
  • Scottish Gaelic: bràithreil — of or pertaining brothers
  • Serbo-Croatian: бра̀тскӣ — of or pertaining brothers
  • Serbo-Croatian: bràtskī — of or pertaining brothers
  • Slovak: bratský — of or pertaining brothers
  • Slovene: bratski — of or pertaining brothers
  • Spanish: fraternal — of or pertaining brothers
  • Spanish: fraterno — of or pertaining brothers
  • Swedish: broderlig — of or pertaining brothers
  • Ukrainian: брате́рський (bratérsʹkyj) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Ukrainian: бра́тський (brátsʹkyj) — of or pertaining brothers
  • Finnish: veljeskunta- — of or pertaining to a fraternity
  • Polish: braterski — of or pertaining to a fraternity
  • Finnish: toverillinen — platonic or friendly
  • Polish: przyjacielski — platonic or friendly
  • Finnish: erimunainen — genetics: of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct
  • Finnish: epäidenttinen — genetics: of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct
  • Polish: dwujajowy — genetics: of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct
  • Spanish: bivitelino — genetics: of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct
  • French: dizygote — genetics: of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct
Real reading context

fraternal in complete knowledge articles