brethren

See also: Brethren

English

Alternative forms

• brethern (obsolete)

Etymology

From Early Modern English brethren, plural of brother, from Middle English brethren, from Middle English brethere, brether + -en (plural ending). Ultimately from Old English brōþor, brōþru (“brothers, brethren”), influenced by Old English brēþer, dative singular of brōþor (“brother”). Equivalent to brother +‎ -en (plural ending). Compare German Brüder (“brothers, brethren”). More at brother. The vowel change (from o to e) is called umlaut.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɛðɹən/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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Noun

brethren

1. (archaic) plural of brother
2. (poetic) kinsmen

Usage 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.

Derived terms

• blood brethren
• bredrin
• Brethren
• brethren in arms
• brethren-in-law
• co-brethren
• half brethren, half-brethren
• lay brethren
• step-brethren, stepbrethren
• uterine brethren
• womb-brethren

 

Noun

brethren pl (plural only)

1. (figuratively) The body of members, especially of a fraternal, religious or military order.

Coordinate terms

• sistren

Translations

the body of members

• Atayal: mtsswe
• Bengali: ভ্রাতৃবর্গ (bhratriborgo)
• Catalan: confraria (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 同胞 (zh) (tóngbāo)

• Danish: broder (da) c
• Finnish: veljet pl, veljekset pl
• French: confrérie (fr) f, confrères (fr) m pl, frères (fr) m pl
• German: Brüder (de) m, Brüdergemeinschaft f
• Greek: αδελφότητα (el) f (adelfótita), αδελφοί (el) m pl (adelfoí)
• Hungarian: hittestvér (hu), felebarát (hu)
• Italian: confratelli
• Japanese: 同胞 (ja) (dōhō)
• Occitan: confraires m pl, fraires (oc) m pl
• Polish: bractwo (pl) n
• Portuguese: confraria (pt) f, confrades m or f, irmãos (pt) m pl
• Russian: бра́тство (ru) (brátstvo)
• Spanish: hermanos (es) pl
• Swedish: bröder (sv) pl
• Ukrainian: бра́ття (uk) n (bráttja), бра́тство (uk) n (brátstvo), бра́тія (uk) f (brátija)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Catalan: germans (ca) pl
• Dutch: broeders (nl) pl
• Galician: irmáns pl
• Hebrew: אחים לדת pl
• Interlingua: fratres (ia) pl
• Portuguese: irmãos (pt) pl

Adjective

brethren (comparative more brethren, superlative most brethren)

1. Of or akin to; related; like
   • 2009, Seth Shostak, Confessions of an Alien Hunter:

     The principle still sounds good, but our astronomical knowledge is limited, and we haven't yet discovered any such brethren solar systems.

See also

• Brethren
• brother
• sistren and nun
• friar and frater or father
• brotherhood, sisterhood
• fraternity
• siblings