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

The road toward brotherly love, however, is shown to be a bumpy one. —Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025

The White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger breaks down latest brotherly love development: 'Whoa' This week's episode revealed Greg's nefarious plan to — offer her $100,000 to keep quiet about his current location. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Lochlan Lochlan makes the wise decision to claim to have forgotten everything about his evening of brotherly love. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025

Eaton had developed a brotherly relationship with Jackson. —Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for brotherly

• motherly
• southerly

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