Standard Lemma guide

sisterly

adj · adv · 3 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.

  • UK: /ˈsɪstəli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: systole (non-rhotic)

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or characteristic of sisters.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

In the manner of a sister, behaving as one would expect of a sister; as a sister, as sisters.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

like or characteristic of or befitting a sister

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • sisterly kindness
  • sororal concern

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sisterlike, sororal

Antonyms: brotherly

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *h1ésh2r̥ Proto-Indo-European *su-h1ésh2-ōr? Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *-sōr ? Proto-Indo-European *swésōrder. Proto-Germanic *swestēr Proto-West Germanic *swester Old English sweostor Middle English suster English sister Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -ly English -ly English sisterly From sister + -ly (adjectival suffix).

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *h1ésh2r̥ Proto-Indo-European *su-h1ésh2-ōr? Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *-sōr ? Proto-Indo-European *swésōrder. Proto-Germanic *swestēr Proto-West Germanic *swester Old English sweostor Middle English suster English sister Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English sisterly From sister + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أُخْتِيّ (ʔuḵtiyy) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Armenian: քույրական (kʻuyrakan) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Belarusian: сястры́нскі (sjastrýnski) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Bulgarian: се́стрински (séstrinski) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Czech: sesterský — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • French: de sœur — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • French: sororal — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • French: sororel — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Georgian: დური (duri) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • German: schwesterlich — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • German: geschwisterlich — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Latin: sororius — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Macedonian: сестрински (sestrinski) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Polish: siostrzany — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Romanian: ca de soră — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Romanian: de soră — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Russian: се́стринский (séstrinskij) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Slovak: sesterský — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Spanish: sororal — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Ukrainian: сестри́нський (sestrýnsʹkyj) — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Volapük: sörik — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Volapük: gemik — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Volapük: jigemik — of or characteristic of a sister or sisters
  • Georgian: დურად (durad) — like a sister
  • German: schwesterlich — like a sister
  • German: geschwisterlich — like a sister
  • Romanian: ca o soră — like a sister
  • Russian: по-се́стрински (po-séstrinski) — like a sister
  • Serbo-Croatian: sèstrīnski — like a sister
  • Volapük: söriko — like a sister
  • Volapük: gemiko — like a sister
  • Volapük: jigemiko — like a sister