fraternity

fraternity — noun

1. all the people who work in a particular profession or share a particular interes

1.名詞B2
釋義

all the people who work in a particular profession or share a particular interest, viewed as a group with common concerns and a shared identity

例句

The medical fraternity has raised concerns about the shortage of nurses in rural hospitals.

the [profession] fraternity — collective noun for professionals

The international scientific fraternity debated Andrei's findings on battery storage technology.

formal register: the [field] fraternity

同義詞
  • community

    broader and less formal; can refer to any group of people with shared interests, not just professionals

  • association

    more formal and suggests an organized body with membership rules, whereas fraternity emphasizes shared identity

  • brotherhood

    carries a stronger emotional tone of loyalty and mutual support; less common in professional contexts

  • profession

    refers to the occupation itself rather than the people in it

文法句型

the [adjective] fraternity

the fraternity of [profession/interest]

用法筆記

Usually preceded by an adjective or noun that identifies the profession or interest group (medical, legal, banking, scientific). The noun phrase takes a singular verb in standard English.

常見錯誤

❌The fraternity of doctors are meeting next week.
✅The medical fraternity is meeting next week.
💡Use the adjective + 'fraternity' pattern instead of 'fraternity of' for natural word order; treat the collective noun as singular.

2. a membership group for men attending a US or Canadian university, known by a Gre

2.名詞B2
釋義

a membership group for men attending a US or Canadian university, known by a Greek-letter name and often providing a shared residence where members live together

例句

Darius joined a fraternity during his first year at the University of Texas.

collocation: join a fraternity

The fraternity house on Elm Street has a large backyard where members host barbecues.

collocation: fraternity house

同義詞
  • student society

    a broader term that includes all types of student clubs, not specifically male or Greek-letter

  • sorority

    the female equivalent of a fraternity, limited to women's organizations

  • club

    general term without the Greek-letter tradition or the residential aspect

反義詞
  • sorority

    the female equivalent of a college fraternity

文法句型

join a fraternity

fraternity + house / party / brother / president

用法筆記

Used primarily in North American university contexts. The equivalent organization for female students is called a sorority. Fraternities are commonly referred to by their two- or three-letter Greek-letter name (e.g., Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi).

常見錯誤

❌She joined a fraternity at college.
✅She joined a sorority at college.
💡Fraternity specifically refers to men's organizations; sorority is the term for women's social clubs in the US.
❌I joined a fraternity that meets every Friday at the student center.
✅I joined a fraternity at the University of Michigan.
💡Fraternities are specific to individual university campuses and usually have a house; they are not city-wide clubs.

3. a warm feeling of friendship, loyalty, and mutual support that develops between

3.名詞B2
釋義

a warm feeling of friendship, loyalty, and mutual support that develops between people who share a common experience, background, or purpose

例句

The soldiers developed a deep sense of fraternity after months of training together.

collocation: sense of fraternity

A strong feeling of fraternity exists among nurses who share the same hospital ward.

collocation: feeling of fraternity among [group]

同義詞
  • brotherhood

    the closest synonym; brotherhood can feel more personal and emotionally intense, while fraternity is slightly more formal

  • camaraderie

    warmth and ease among friends or colleagues; more informal than fraternity and often used in workplace or social settings

  • fellowship

    shared companionship, often within a religious, academic, or charitable group; carries a slightly old-fashioned or institutional tone

  • solidarity

    unity and mutual support, especially in political or activist contexts; emphasizes standing together for a cause

反義詞
  • hostility

    a state of active opposition or unfriendliness

  • enmity

    a deep, often long-lasting feeling of hatred or opposition

  • isolation

    the state of being alone or separated from others

文法句型

sense / spirit / feeling of fraternity

fraternity among [group]

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable. Commonly appears in fixed phrase patterns such as 'sense of fraternity,' 'spirit of fraternity,' and 'bond of fraternity.' Not typically used as a direct object of 'have' or 'feel' without a preceding quantifier or prepositional frame.

常見錯誤

❌I have fraternity for my classmates.
✅I feel a sense of fraternity with my classmates.
💡Fraternity in this sense is not used as a direct object; use 'a sense / feeling / spirit of fraternity' instead.
❌There was much fraternity among the team.
✅There was a strong spirit of fraternity among the team.
💡Fraternity is uncountable but needs a preceding noun like 'sense' or 'spirit' to sound natural.