big brother

noun

1

: an older brother

2

: a man who serves as a companion, father figure, and role model for a boy

3

Big Brother [Big Brother, personification of the power of the state in 1984 (1949) by George Orwell]

a

: the leader of an authoritarian state or movement

b

: an all-powerful government or organization monitoring and directing people's actions

Examples of big brother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Haliburton says McConnell is like a big brother to him, always knowing what needs to be done, always knowing what needs to be said. —Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025

Lilibet was born in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2021, two years after her big brother, Archie Harrison, in May 2019. —Audrey Schmidt, People.com, 4 June 2025

That is to say, Merrifield was like a big brother who loved to torment his younger sibling. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025

The photos show young Ernie having fun on the ski slopes with his parents, showing off his personal style with upside-down sunglasses, and, of course, playing alongside his big brother. —Meredith Kile, People.com, 30 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for big brother

• another
• godmother
• grandmother
• stepbrother
• stepmother
• mother
• nother
• other
• smother
• souther