Definition
clubs or organizations where male students, typically at colleges, live together and bond through shared activities.
Etymology
From Latin 'fraternitas,' from 'frater' (brother). The word emphasizes brotherhood and kinship among members.
Kelly Says
American college fraternities started as intellectual debate clubs in the 1770s, but evolved into party-focused social organizations—a dramatic shift in purpose over just a few decades.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ወንድሞች
wen-dim-moch
ARالعربية
الجمعيات الأخوية
al-jam'iyyat al-ukhuwwiyyah
BNবাংলা
ভ্রাতৃবৃন্দ
bhratr-brund
CACatalà
germanor
ger-ma-nor
CSČeština
bratrství
brat-rst-vi
DADansk
brorskab
bro-rs-kab
DEDeutsch
Bruderschaften
broo-der-shaf-ten
ELΕλληνικά
αδελφότητες
a-del-fo-the-tes
ESEspañol
hermandades
er-man-da-des
FISuomi
veljeskunnat
ve-ljes-kun-nat
FRFrançais
fraternités
frat-er-ni-te
HIहिन्दी
भाईचारा
bhaai-chaara
HUMagyar
testvériség
test-ve-ri-seg
IDBahasa Indonesia
persaudaraan
per-sa-u-da-raan
ITItaliano
fratellanze
fra-tel-lan-ze
JA日本語
fraternities
fura-te-ni-ti-zu
KO한국어
프레테르니티
peure-te-ni-ti
MSBahasa Melayu
persaudaraan
per-sa-u-da-raan
MYမြန်မာ
အလုပ်သမား
a-lu-p-o-tha-ma-ra
NLNederlands
broederschappen
broe-der-schaap-en
NONorsk
brorskap
bro-rs-kap
PAPA
ਭਾਈਚਾਰਾ
bhaai-chaara
PLPolski
bractwa
brat-vva
PTPortuguês
fraternidades
fra-ter-ni-da-des
RUРусский
братства
brat-stva
SVSvenska
brödraskap
brod-ras-kap
SWKiswahili
ndugu
n-du-gu
TAதமிழ்
சகோதரர்
sa-go-tha-rar
TEతెలుగు
బంధువులు
ban-du-vu-lu
TLTL
pagkakaisa
pa-ga-ka-isa
TRTürkçe
kardeşlikler
kar-deş-lik-ler
UKУкраїнська
братство
brat-stvo
VITiếng Việt
sinh hoạt
sinh hoat
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Historically male-only or male-dominated; 'fraternity' derives from Latin frater (brother). Organizational structures excluded women, creating gendered spaces and power networks that persisted into modern institutions.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'fraternity/sorority' when both exist, or 'Greek organizations', 'student organizations' when gender-neutral language is appropriate.
Inclusive Alternatives
["Greek organizations","student organizations","fraternity and sorority systems"]
Empowerment Note
Women fought for parallel Greek letter organizations and co-education of fraternities; this infrastructure was hard-won and often resisted by established groups.