Adjacent Words

Fraternal definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FRATERN'AL, a. [L. fraternus, from frater, brother.]
Brotherly; pertaining to brethren; becoming brothers; as fraternal love or affection; a fraternal embrace.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of or relating to a fraternity or society of usually men; "a fraternal order"
2: (of twins) derived from two separate fertilized ova; "fraternal twins are biovular" [syn: fraternal, biovular] [ant: identical, monovular]
3: like or characteristic of or befitting a brother; "brotherly feelings"; "close fraternal ties" [syn: brotherly, brotherlike, fraternal] [ant: sisterlike, sisterly, sororal]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin fraternalis, from Latin fraternus, from frater brother — more at brother Date: 15th century 1. a. of, relating to, or involving brothers b. of, relating to, or being a fraternity or society <a fraternal order> 2. derived from two ova ; dizygotic <fraternal twins> 3. friendly, brotherly • fraternalism noun • fraternally adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 of a brother or brothers. 2 suitable to a brother; brotherly. 3 (of twins) developed from separate ova and not necessarily closely similar. 4 US of or concerning a fraternity (see FRATERNITY 3). Derivatives: fraternalism n. fraternally adv. Etymology: med.L fraternalis f. L fraternus f. frater brother

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fraternal Fra*ter"nal, a.[F. fraternel, LL. fraternalis, fr. L. fraternus, fr. frater brother. See Brother.] Pf, pertaining to, or involving, brethren; becoming to brothers; brotherly; as, fraternal affection; a fraternal embrace. -- Fra*ter"nal*ly, adv. An abhorred, a cursed, a fraternal war. --Milton. Fraternal love and friendship. --Addison.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Fraternal actions show strong links of friendship between two people or groups of people. (FORMAL) ...the fraternal assistance of our colleagues and comrades... ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. Fraternal twins are twins born from two eggs, so they are not exactly the same. They look different from each other and may be different sexes. ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Brotherly.

Moby Thesaurus

Christian, Christlike, Christly, affectionate, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, brotherly, compassionate, congenial, decent, favorable, friendlike, friendly, good, gracious, harmonious, human, humane, idealistic, intellectual, kind, kindhearted, kindly, kindly-disposed, loving, neighborlike, neighborly, nice, peaceable, pleasant, simpatico, sisterly, sociable, softhearted, sympathetic, sympathique, sympathizing, tender, tenderhearted, unhostile, warm, warmhearted, well-affected, well-disposed, well-intentioned, well-meaning, well-meant