fraternity

IPA/frəˈtɜːnəti/
KK[frətˈɚnəti]IPA/frəˈtɜːrnəti/

fraternity — noun

  • fraternitysingular
  • fraternitiesplural

1. all the people who work in a particular profession or share a particular interes

1.nounB2
Definition

all the people who work in a particular profession or share a particular interest, viewed as a group with common concerns and a shared identity

Example

The medical fraternity has raised concerns about the shortage of nurses in rural hospitals.

the [profession] fraternity — collective noun for professionals

The international scientific fraternity debated Andrei's findings on battery storage technology.

formal register: the [field] fraternity

Common collocations
  • medical fraternity
  • legal fraternity
  • banking fraternity
  • scientific fraternity
  • financial fraternity
  • engineering fraternity
  • educational fraternity
  • the fraternity of [profession]
Synonyms
  • community

    broader and less formal; can refer to any group of people with shared interests, not just professionals

  • association

    more formal and suggests an organized body with membership rules, whereas fraternity emphasizes shared identity

  • brotherhood

    carries a stronger emotional tone of loyalty and mutual support; less common in professional contexts

  • profession

    refers to the occupation itself rather than the people in it

Grammar Patterns

the [adjective] fraternity

the fraternity of [profession/interest]

Usage Note

Usually preceded by an adjective or noun that identifies the profession or interest group (medical, legal, banking, scientific). The noun phrase takes a singular verb in standard English.

Common Mistakes

The fraternity of doctors are meeting next week.
The medical fraternity is meeting next week.
Use the adjective + 'fraternity' pattern instead of 'fraternity of' for natural word order; treat the collective noun as singular.

2. a membership group for men attending a US or Canadian university, known by a Gre

2.nounB2
Definition

a membership group for men attending a US or Canadian university, known by a Greek-letter name and often providing a shared residence where members live together

Example

Darius joined a fraternity during his first year at the University of Texas.

collocation: join a fraternity

The fraternity house on Elm Street has a large backyard where members host barbecues.

collocation: fraternity house

Common collocations
  • join a fraternity
  • fraternity house
  • fraternity brother
  • fraternity party
  • fraternity member
  • fraternity president
  • fraternity row
  • Greek fraternity
Synonyms
  • student society

    a broader term that includes all types of student clubs, not specifically male or Greek-letter

  • sorority

    the female equivalent of a fraternity, limited to women's organizations

  • club

    general term without the Greek-letter tradition or the residential aspect

Antonyms
  • sorority

    the female equivalent of a college fraternity

Grammar Patterns

join a fraternity

fraternity + house / party / brother / president

Usage Note

Used primarily in North American university contexts. The equivalent organization for female students is called a sorority. Fraternities are commonly referred to by their two- or three-letter Greek-letter name (e.g., Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi).

Common Mistakes

She joined a fraternity at college.
She joined a sorority at college.
Fraternity specifically refers to men's organizations; sorority is the term for women's social clubs in the US.
I joined a fraternity that meets every Friday at the student center.
I joined a fraternity at the University of Michigan.
Fraternities are specific to individual university campuses and usually have a house; they are not city-wide clubs.

3. a warm feeling of friendship, loyalty, and mutual support that develops between

3.nounB2
Definition

a warm feeling of friendship, loyalty, and mutual support that develops between people who share a common experience, background, or purpose

Example

The soldiers developed a deep sense of fraternity after months of training together.

collocation: sense of fraternity

A strong feeling of fraternity exists among nurses who share the same hospital ward.

collocation: feeling of fraternity among [group]

Common collocations
  • sense of fraternity
  • spirit of fraternity
  • bond of fraternity
  • feeling of fraternity
  • fraternity among
  • deep fraternity
Synonyms
  • brotherhood

    the closest synonym; brotherhood can feel more personal and emotionally intense, while fraternity is slightly more formal

  • camaraderie

    warmth and ease among friends or colleagues; more informal than fraternity and often used in workplace or social settings

  • fellowship

    shared companionship, often within a religious, academic, or charitable group; carries a slightly old-fashioned or institutional tone

  • solidarity

    unity and mutual support, especially in political or activist contexts; emphasizes standing together for a cause

Antonyms
  • hostility

    a state of active opposition or unfriendliness

  • enmity

    a deep, often long-lasting feeling of hatred or opposition

  • isolation

    the state of being alone or separated from others

Grammar Patterns

sense / spirit / feeling of fraternity

fraternity among [group]

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable. Commonly appears in fixed phrase patterns such as 'sense of fraternity,' 'spirit of fraternity,' and 'bond of fraternity.' Not typically used as a direct object of 'have' or 'feel' without a preceding quantifier or prepositional frame.

Common Mistakes

I have fraternity for my classmates.
I feel a sense of fraternity with my classmates.
Fraternity in this sense is not used as a direct object; use 'a sense / feeling / spirit of fraternity' instead.
There was much fraternity among the team.
There was a strong spirit of fraternity among the team.
Fraternity is uncountable but needs a preceding noun like 'sense' or 'spirit' to sound natural.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

These five words all describe positive bonds between people, but they differ in register, context, and emotional weight. 'Brotherhood' is the closest to 'fraternity' and often carries a deeper, more personal emotional charge — it suggests the loyalty of a family or a close-knit group. 'Camaraderie' is more informal and lighthearted, focusing on the ease and good humour among friends or workmates (e.g., 'the camaraderie of the office lunch table'). 'Fellowship' has an institutional or spiritual flavour, frequently used in academic scholarships or religious congregations. 'Solidarity' shifts to a political or activist register, emphasising united action in support of a cause ('union members showed solidarity by marching together'). 'Kinship' draws on the metaphor of family relations and can apply to any group where people feel a deep, natural connection. Use 'fraternity' or 'brotherhood' when you want to stress mutual care and support; use 'camaraderie' for casual warmth; use 'solidarity' for collective action.

brotherhood ↗camaraderie ↗fellowship ↗solidarity ↗kinship ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • fraternity among
  • fraternity of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'fraternity' comes from Latin 'fraternitas', meaning 'brotherhood', which was formed from 'frater' meaning 'brother'. It passed into English through Old French 'fraternité'. The original sense of brotherhood or sibling-like bond (sense 3) is the oldest meaning in English, recorded from the 14th century. The professional-group sense (sense 1) emerged in the 15th-16th centuries as trade guilds and professional associations adopted the term. The college-club sense (sense 2) developed in the late 18th century at American universities, where student societies began using Greek letters and calling themselves fraternities.