fraternity

noun

fra·​ter·​ni·​ty frə-ˈtər-nə-tē 

plural fraternities

1

: a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or pleasure: such as

a

: a fraternal order

b

: guild sense 1

c

: a men's student organization formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters

d

: a student organization for scholastic, professional, or extracurricular activities

a debating fraternity

2

: the quality or state of being brothers : brotherliness

3

: persons of the same class, profession, character, or tastes

the racetrack fraternity

Synonyms of fraternity

• organization
• association
• institution
• brotherhood
• society
• institute
• chamber

Examples of fraternity in a Sentence

an atmosphere of fraternity and cooperation

a firm believer in community service and a dedicated member of the local fraternity of Good Samaritans

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier this week, the New York governor called for a third-party investigation into Cornell over its internal investigation into the seven fraternity members who allegedly raped Jane Doe in 2024. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2026

Close to midnight on October 19, 2024, a young woman arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house, a twelve-thousand-square-foot Tudor Revival on the campus of Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026

Charging documents portray Abbatiello as a top-level supplier who allegedly used fraternity connections to distribute cocaine near Penn State. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Multiple fraternity members then entered the room, where one of the newcomers kissed her without her consent, and one of the first three men commanded her to take more ketamine and groped her, according to the complaint. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fraternity

• inter-fraternity

Rhymes for fraternity

• eternity
• maternity
• modernity
• paternity
• confraternity
• taciturnity

Kids Definition

fraternity

noun

fra·​ter·​ni·​ty frə-ˈtər-nət-ē 

plural fraternities

1

: a social, honorary, or professional organization

especially : a social club of male college students

2

: brotherhood sense 1, brotherliness