# fraternity

/fɹəˈtɝnəti/ (US) · /fɹɐtˈɜːnɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fraternity
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a professional or social group

noun · CEFR B2

a group of people who share the same job, interests, or beliefs.

For teachers: a group of people sharing a common profession, interest, or set of beliefs, often viewed as a collective body.

- The medical fraternity generally agrees that this new treatment is very effective.
- Members of the legal fraternity gathered at the annual conference to discuss the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling.

### 2. university social club

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a social club for male students at a college or university, often named with Greek letters.

For teachers: a social organization for male undergraduate students at a North American university, typically characterized by a Greek-letter name and shared residential living.

- He decided to join a fraternity during his first year at university to make new friends.
- The university administration introduced stricter regulations regarding fraternity recruitment to ensure the safety and well-being of new students.

Usage: The female equivalent is a 'sorority'.

### 3. brotherhood

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

a feeling of friendship and support between people.

For teachers: the state or quality of being brothers; a sense of mutual support and fellowship.

- The goal of the festival was to promote peace and fraternity among different cultures.
- The revolutionary slogan emphasized liberty, equality, and fraternity as the foundational pillars of the new republic.

## Examples

- The local fraternity organizes charity events every month.
- He joined the engineering fraternity to build a professional network before graduating.
- The ancient fraternity of scholars preserved classical texts through the Middle Ages, ensuring that knowledge survived the collapse of the Roman Empire.

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