Brethren
Contents
English
Noun
brethren
- (archaic) Plural form of brother.
- (figuratively) the body of members, especially of a fraternal, religious or military order
Adjectives for Brethren
dreamy; venerable; erring; cloudy; luckier; weak; civilized; wicked; twin-souled; speculative; fortunate; renegade; amiable; literary.
See also
Brethren; brother; sistren; nun; friar; frater; father; brotherhood; sisterhood; fraternity; siblings
Thesaurus
assembly, aunt, auntie, blood brother, brother, bub, bubba, bud, buddy, churchgoers, class, congregation, country cousin, cousin, cousin once removed, cousin twice removed, daughter, father, first cousin, flock, fold, foster brother, frater, grandnephew, grandniece, granduncle, great-aunt, great-uncle, half brother, kid brother, laity, laymen, minyan, mother, nephew, niece, nonclerics, nonordained persons, nuncle, nunks, nunky, parish, parishioners, people, second cousin, seculars, sheep, sis, sissy, sister, sister-german, sistern, society, son, stepbrother, stepsister, unc, uncle, uncs, uterine brother
Etymology
From Early Modern English brethren (plural of brother), from Middle English brethere, brether (+ -en (plural ending)), alteration, due to Old English brēþer (dative singular), of Old English brōþor, brōþru (“brothers, brethren”). Compare German Brüder (“brothers, brethren”). More at brother.
Pronunciation
Notes
The plural "brethren" is generally used for members of an organization, especially a religious body, whereas the plural "brothers" is used in the familial sense as well as for larger groups.
