Brotherhood

Origin

From Middle English brotherhod, from earlier brotherhede, alteration (influenced by suffixes in -hood, -head) of Early Middle English brotherrede ("brotherhood, fraternity"), from Old English brōþorrǣden ("brotherhood, fellowship"), equivalent to brother + -red (see brotherred). More at brother, -red.

Full definition of brotherhood

Noun

1. The state of being brothers or a brother.
2. An association for any purpose, as a society of monks; a fraternity.
3. The whole body of persons engaged in the same business, -- especially those of the same profession; as, the legal or medical brotherhood.
4. Persons, and, poetically, things, of a like kind.A brotherhood of venerable trees. - William Wordsworth.

Hypernyms

• siblinghood

Synonyms

• fraternity, association, fellowship, sodality, brethren