fraternity
n.-
1 a professional or social group (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea group of people who share the same job, interests, or beliefs.
a group of people sharing a common profession, interest, or set of beliefs, often viewed as a collective body.
ExampleThe medical fraternity generally agrees that this new treatment is very effective.
ExampleMembers of the legal fraternity gathered at the annual conference to discuss the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling.
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2 university social club (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate American Englisha social club for male students at a college or university, often named with Greek letters.
a social organization for male undergraduate students at a North American university, typically characterized by a Greek-letter name and shared residential living.
ExampleHe decided to join a fraternity during his first year at university to make new friends.
ExampleThe university administration introduced stricter regulations regarding fraternity recruitment to ensure the safety and well-being of new students.
UsageThe female equivalent is a 'sorority'.
- greek house
- student society
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3 brotherhood (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Literarya feeling of friendship and support between people.
the state or quality of being brothers; a sense of mutual support and fellowship.
ExampleThe goal of the festival was to promote peace and fraternity among different cultures.
ExampleThe revolutionary slogan emphasized liberty, equality, and fraternity as the foundational pillars of the new republic.
PIE word *bʰréh₂tēr From Middle English fraternite, borrowed from Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās, ultimately from frāter (“brother”).