brotherly
adjective
broth·er·ly
ˈbrə-t͟hər-lē 
1
: of or relating to brothers
2
: natural or becoming to brothers : affectionate
brotherly love
brotherliness
noun
brotherly
adverb
Examples of brotherly in a Sentence
He gave his sister a brotherly hug.
He received brotherly support from his fellow priests.
Recent Examples on the Web
But there’s something special when the brotherly matchup is a true brother-on-brother affair, which is what will be the case when rookie defensive back Caleb Downs and the Cowboys play against wide receiver Josh Downs and the Colts.
—
Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Jimmy’s connection with Tariq, who is missing a leg due to a bomb that also scarred his mother’s face, is rooted in his brotherly love for his father Khalil, Jimmy’s translator, who was killed because of his work with the Americans.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Georgia is becoming the NFL’s state of brotherly love.
—Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Last August, Joe and his brothers, Nick, 33, and Kevin, 38, appeared on an episode of Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang, and chatted about their brotherly bond, as well as their experiences as parents.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brotherly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Jimmy’s connection with Tariq, who is missing a leg due to a bomb that also scarred his mother’s face, is rooted in his brotherly love for his father Khalil, Jimmy’s translator, who was killed because of his work with the Americans.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Georgia is becoming the NFL’s state of brotherly love.
—Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Last August, Joe and his brothers, Nick, 33, and Kevin, 38, appeared on an episode of Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang, and chatted about their brotherly bond, as well as their experiences as parents.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brotherly
Cite this Entry
“Brotherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brotherly. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
