brotherly

adjective

broth·​er·​ly ˈbrə-t͟hər-lē 

1

: of or relating to brothers

2

: natural or becoming to brothers : affectionate

brotherly love

brotherliness noun

brotherly adverb

Synonyms

• fraternal

Examples of brotherly in a Sentence

He gave his sister a brotherly hug.

He received brotherly support from his fellow priests.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kicked out of the family home for brotherly love – loving the wrong brother – Nic is reduced to sharing a caravan with her not so trustworthy best friend Jen. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024

What follows is a study of ambition, class, brotherly rivalry, and competition that’s far removed from the typical sports-movie tropes like winning the big game and growing as a person. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 29 July 2024

Aside from the literal brotherly bond between the brothers Cave, the band that had started together in a small town in northern Queensland, relocated to Los Angeles to follow a dream, and made that dream a reality, found strength as a unit. —Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 4 Nov. 2024

Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli do brotherly battle in An Enemy of the People While the production is truly a visual feast, there are a few moments where Romeo + Juliet stumbles, the biggest one being that there are several scenes where having the same actor play two roles feels jarring. —EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

brotherly

adjective

broth·​er·​ly ˈbrət͟h-ər-lē 

1

: of or relating to brothers

2

: kindly entry 1 sense 2, affectionate

brotherliness noun