big brother
noun
1
: an older brother
2
: a man who serves as a companion, father figure, and role model for a boy
3
Big Brother
[Big Brother, personification of the power of the state in 1984 (1949) by George Orwell]
a
: the leader of an authoritarian state or movement
b
: an all-powerful government or organization monitoring and directing people's actions
Examples of big brother in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Johnson City Johnson City, Tennessee, is the big brother of Jonesborough and the best Tennessee getaway for mountain bikers, with miles of trails at Tannery Knobs.
—
Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
Freshman Madalyn Westervelt was inspired by her big brother, who was also a part of the program.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Elijah is named after his big brother Semiu, as well as Hakeem's father.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
More recent memories were about how Airen was a good big brother, Gunn said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big brother
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Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
Freshman Madalyn Westervelt was inspired by her big brother, who was also a part of the program.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Elijah is named after his big brother Semiu, as well as Hakeem's father.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
More recent memories were about how Airen was a good big brother, Gunn said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for big brother
Cite this Entry
“Big brother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20brother. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
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