# fraternity

Pronunciation: say "fruh-TUR-nuh-tee" US /fɹəˈtɝnəti/, UK /fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/

## Noun

1. A social organization of male students at a college or university, usually known by a name made up of Greek letters. *(Philippines, US)*
   - Simple: A social club for male students at a college or university, usually named with Greek letters.
   - _She told her son not to rush a fraternity until he had settled into his classes._
   - _After the hazing reports, the university suspended three fraternities for the rest of the semester._
2. A body of people associated with one another for a common purpose.
   - Simple: A group of people who are joined together for a shared purpose.
   - _The proposal drew sharp criticism from the medical fraternity, which saw it as a threat to doctors' independence._
   - _Small fraternities of stamp collectors swap rarities by mail and meet once a year._
3. The state of being brothers, or the quality of being brotherly toward one another.
   - Simple: Being brothers, or the friendly, caring feeling between people who treat each other like brothers.
   - _Years after the war, the veterans still spoke of the fraternity they had known in the trenches._
   - _The founders hoped the new constitution would foster fraternity among citizens of every faith._

## Origin

From Middle English fraternite, borrowed from Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās. It ultimately comes from Latin frāter ("brother"), which is linked to the Proto-Indo-European word *bʰréh₂tēr.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fraternity (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).