# sibling

/ˈsɪbɫɪŋ/ (US) · /sˈɪblɪŋ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. brother or sister

noun · CEFR B1

a person who has the same parents as you; your brother or sister.

For teachers: one of two or more individuals having one or both parents in common; a gender-neutral collective term for brothers and sisters.

- I have three siblings: two older brothers and a younger sister.
- Research suggests that sibling relationships play a crucial role in the development of social skills during early childhood.

Usage: Commonly used in the plural to refer to a group of brothers and sisters together.

### 2. computing/data

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

in a computer diagram or list, a part that is on the same level as another part under the same 'parent'.

For teachers: a node in a data structure, such as a tree or graph, that shares the same immediate parent node as another.

- In this folder structure, the 'Images' and 'Videos' folders are siblings.
- The algorithm traverses the tree by visiting each sibling at the current depth before descending to the next level of the hierarchy.

### 3. biology/species

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a species that is very closely related to another species.

For teachers: one of two or more closely related species which are nearly indistinguishable morphologically but are reproductively isolated.

- These two types of birds are sibling species and look almost identical.
- The identification of sibling species often requires genetic analysis, as physical characteristics may be insufficient to differentiate them in the field.

## Examples

- I have three siblings: two brothers and one sister.
- The study examined how sibling rivalry can affect a child's social development during their school years.
- While some siblings maintain a close bond throughout adulthood, others may drift apart as their professional lives and personal interests diverge.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.