brotherhood

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A feeling of friendship and loyalty between people, as if they were brothers

   The team was bound together by a strong sense of brotherhood.

2. 2
   noun

   An organized group of people joined by a shared purpose, such as a religious order or society

   He joined a brotherhood of monks in the mountains.

3. 3
   noun

   An organization of workers in the same trade; a union

   The railway brotherhood demanded safer working conditions.

From Middle English brotherhod, equivalent to brother + -hood, 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. Piecewise doublet of friarhood.

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