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fraternal

/frəˈtʌrnl/
/frəˈtʌnəl/
IPA guide

Use the adjective fraternal to mean "brotherly," the way you'd describe your fraternal relationship with your oldest friend who is like a brother to you.

A fight between brothers? You could chalk it up to fraternal rivalry. Fraternal describes the relationship between brothers, but it is also used is to describe a club, society or fraternity, some brotherly group of people — usually men — with common interests. Fraternal twins, unlike identical twins, are formed from separate ova. That's why they don't look exactly alike and can be a girl and a boy, instead of two girls or two boys.

Definitions of fraternal
  1. adjective
    like or characteristic of or befitting a brother
    “close fraternal ties”
    synonyms: brotherlike, brotherly
  2. adjective
    of or relating to a fraternity or society of usually men
    “a fraternal order”
  3. adjective
    (of twins) derived from two separate fertilized ova
    synonyms: biovular
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    identical
    (of twins) derived from a single egg or ovum
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