What does "fraternal" mean?
A society formed to provide mutual aid, such as insurance.
Fraternal
/fɹəˈtɝnəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A society formed to provide mutual aid, such as insurance.
- Grammar: fraternal is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: brotherly, affectionate, agreeable, amiable.
- Useful contrasts: hostile, identical, nonfraternal.
- Usage evidence: "Don't look alike do you?" "That's because we're fraternal twins."
How to use "fraternal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fraternal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fraternal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fraternal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fraternal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fraternal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "brotherly" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fraternal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A society formed to provide mutual aid, such as insurance.
"Here comes in the importance of the proposed bill for the uniform regulation of fraternals."
- 2 A fraternal twin.
"Her twins were adorable boy-girl fraternals who wore boy-girl clothes in the same fabric."
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to a brother or brothers.
"By Cognate or Domestic duties, we mean those which grow out of the different family relations; and which may be classed as conjugal, parental, filial, and fraternal."
- 2 Of or pertaining to a fraternity.
"The changing Afro-American class structure shaped the war and postwar growth of black religious and fraternal organizations in southern West Virginia."
- 3 Platonic or friendly.
"[…] a delighted shout from the children swung him toward the door again. His sister, Mrs. Gerard, stood there in carriage gown and sables, radiant with surprise. ¶ "Phil! You! Exactly like you, Philip, to come strolling in from the antipodes—dear fellow!" recovering from the fraternal embrace and holding both lapels of his coat in her gloved hands."
- 4 Of twins or embryos, produced from two different eggs and sperm, and genetically distinct.
"Seventy percent of twins are fraternal and result from fertilization of two separate ova by two different sperm."
Adjective
- 1 like or characteristic of or befitting a brother wordnet
- 2 (of twins) derived from two separate fertilized ova wordnet
- 3 of or relating to a fraternity or society of usually men wordnet
Example
""Don't look alike do you?" "That's because we're fraternal twins.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fraternal"?
Common synonyms include: brotherly, affectionate, agreeable, amiable, amicable, amicable.
How do you use "fraternal" in a sentence?
"Don't look alike do you?" "That's because we're fraternal twins."
How do you pronounce "fraternal"?
Pronounced /fɹəˈtɝnəl/.
Etymology
PIE word *bʰréh₂tēr Borrowed from Middle French fraternel, from Medieval Latin frāternālis (“fraternal”), from Latin frāternus (“of or pertaining to a brother, fraternal”), from frāter (“brother”).