Word of the Day

: September 12, 2024

fraternize

verb FRAT-er-nyze

What It Means

To fraternize with someone is to be friendly with them or to spend time with them in a friendly way. Fraternize is often, though not always, used in situations where such friendly behavior is considered wrong or improper, as in “fraternizing with the enemy.”

// The boss warned that fraternizing with the junior employees could be a risky career move for a manager.

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fraternize in Context

“Ten years after the successful opening of the Tyler Colleges, my grandfather, who was 17 at the time, began to study and take advantage of the rich social and economic legacy of barbering. He opened the first barbershop to be owned and operated by an African American in Gordon Heights, Long Island. From its humble beginnings to the next 68 years thereafter, his business became a place in the Black community that men gathered to connect, fraternize and—of course—get groomed; a place where Black men found hopes, dreams and pride.” — Stacey Morris, Variety, 23 Feb. 2022

Did You Know?

O brother where art thou? In many an English word descended from the Latin noun frater, meaning “brother,” that’s where. Both fraternize and fraternal (meaning “of, relating to, or involving brothers”), for example, come to us by way of Medieval Latin from frater. Other frater progeny in English include friar and fraternity. Even brother itself shares a relationship with frater (albeit it a more distant one). These days, although fraternize can still apply to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it is often used in phrases, such as “fraternizing with the enemy,” implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided.