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O brother where art thou? In many an English word descended from the Latin noun frater, meaning “brother,” that’s where. Both fraternize and fraternal (meaning “of, relating to, or involving brothers”), for example, come to us by way of Medieval Latin from frater. Other frater progeny in English include friar and fraternity. Even brother itself shares a relationship with frater (albeit it a more distant one). These days, although fraternize can still apply to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it is often used in phrases, such as “fraternizing with the enemy,” implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided.
Examples of fraternize in a Sentence
Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 June 2026
They were given strict rules that governed everything from alcohol consumption (only certain drinks and only after meals) to hairstyles (long and down) to fraternizing (never with players from opposing teams during the season).
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
The concern of the Wings drafting Fudd There is a reason why so many places of employment have rules about co-workers fraternizing, or dating.
—Mac Engel
april 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
In the finale, the method to her upper-echelon bootstrap-yanking is revealed to be procuring young women to fraternize (and more) with a rotating roster of nefarious dinner-party guests—oh, and seemingly also recording these illicit interactions.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fraternize
Cite this Entry
“Fraternize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fraternize. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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