brotherhood

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The state of being brothers or a brother (also figuratively).

   brotherdom

2. 2
   noun

   An association of people for any purpose, such as a society of monks; a fraternity.

   James formed a kind of brotherhood for ex-pats who were working in Valencia.

3. 3
   noun

   All the people engaged in the same business, especially those of the same profession

   the legal brotherhood

4. 4
   noun

   People, or (poetically) things, of the same kind.

   a brotherhood of venerable trees

5. 5
   noun

   the feeling that men should treat one another like brothers

6. 6
   noun

   people engaged in a particular occupation

7. 7
   noun

   an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

8. 8
   noun

   the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings

Etymology

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.