brotherless
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking brothers: "Brotherless" describes a person who has no brothers, either because they were never born, have died, or are otherwise absent from one's life. It specifically refers to the absence of male siblings.
Usage Examples
- (She had no brothers at all.)
- (He experienced the state of having no living brothers.)
Advanced Usage
"To be born brotherless": to come into the world without any male siblings.
- He was born brotherless, the sole son of his parents. (He had no brothers from birth.)
"To live brotherless": to experience life without brothers, often implying a sense of solitude or lack of fraternal companionship.
- She lived brotherless but found deep friendships that filled that void. (She lacked brothers but had close friends.)
Variants and Related Words
- Brother (n): a male sibling.
- My brother is two years older than me. (A male sibling.)
- Brotherhood (n): the relationship between brothers; a sense of fraternal unity.
- The team shared a strong brotherhood. (A bond like that of brothers.)
- Sisterless (adj): having no sisters.
- He was sisterless, with only brothers in his family. (Lacking female siblings.)
Synonyms
- Siblingless (male): having no male siblings; a broader term that can also mean having no siblings at all, but in context, it can refer specifically to the absence of brothers.
- Only child (male): a person who has no siblings, including brothers, but this term implies no siblings of any gender.
Related Idioms
"A brotherless house": a household without any male children.
- Their brotherless house was filled with daughters. (The home had no sons.)
"To walk a brotherless path": to go through life without the support or companionship of a brother.
- He walked a brotherless path, relying on friends for counsel. (He lacked a brother's guidance.)