freemasonry
/ˈfriːmeɪsnri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfriːmeɪsnri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfrē-ˈmā-sᵊn-rē/ (ame, mw)
freemasonry — noun
1. the worldwide men's organization called the Freemasons, together with the ritual
the worldwide men's organization called the Freemasons, together with the rituals, symbols, and shared values that hold its lodges together.
Sade wrote her history thesis on Freemasonry in eighteenth-century London.
capitalized proper-noun reading, refers to the organization
Christopher's grandfather kept several old books about Freemasonry in his study.
treated as uncountable, no article
The museum in Edinburgh has a small exhibition on the symbols of Freemasonry.
Ari joined a local lodge after reading about Freemasonry for nearly a year.
Some historians argue that Freemasonry helped spread Enlightenment ideas across Europe.
- the Craft
insider term used by members themselves for the same organization
- the Brotherhood
informal label, can refer to other fraternal groups too
- Masonry
shorter, near-synonym; in this sense only, not the building trade
文法句型
uncountable noun, often capitalized
用法筆記
Subject is usually the organization itself or its symbols, rituals, and history; capitalized when naming the formal body, lowercase when used more loosely. Distinguish from sense 2, where the noun describes a feeling rather than an institution.
常見錯誤
2. a quiet, unspoken bond felt by people whose work, background, or past experience
a quiet, unspoken bond felt by people whose work, background, or past experiences mark them out as part of the same small tribe.
There is a quiet freemasonry among night-shift nurses on the cancer ward.
collocation: freemasonry among + group of professionals
Wei felt an instant freemasonry with the other parents waiting outside the operating room.
collocation: freemasonry with + similar people
A strange freemasonry binds together everyone who has lost a child.
Reuben spoke of the freemasonry between long-distance truck drivers on the desert highway.
Shirin sensed a quiet freemasonry the moment another former refugee sat down beside her.
- camaraderie
warmer and more openly friendly than the quiet recognition of freemasonry
- kinship
stresses a felt family-like tie rather than shared occupation
- solidarity
more political, suggests willingness to act together; freemasonry is just felt
- estrangement
active distance and lack of common feeling between people
文法句型
uncountable, often + among / between
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by an adjective such as 'quiet', 'strange', 'instant', and followed by 'among', 'between', or 'with' naming the group. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is a feeling between people, not a named institution, and is never capitalized.