fraternity

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

fra·ter·nity [fraternity fraternities] BrE [frəˈtɜːnəti] NAmE [frəˈtɜːrnəti] noun (pl. fra·ter·nities)
1. countable + singular or plural verb a group of people sharing the same profession, interests or beliefs
•members of the medical/banking/racing, etc. fraternity
2. (also NAmE informal frat)countable a club for a group of male students at an American college or university
compare ↑sorority
3. uncountable (formal)a feeling of friendship and support that exists between the members of a group
•the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity
See also: ↑frat

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French fraternite, from Latin fraternitas, from fraternus, from frater ‘brother’.

Culture:
Some fraternities also have female members. The members usually live in a house together and are called Greeks, because each fraternity takes as its name two or three Greek letters, such as Lambda Delta Chi. Fraternities do charity work but are sometimes criticized for their wild parties.
See also ↑Phi Beta Kappa

Compare ↑sorority
.

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  brotherhood, sodality, frat