Confraternal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of members of the same fraternity or brotherhood ; showing a spirit of mutual support among peers
2. Pertaining to the fellowship or association between colleagues or companions ; expressing a feeling of closeness or camaraderie within a group
3. Connected with the bonds or relationships shared by members of a common organization ; embodying the sense of solidarity and cooperation among brethren or associates

Etymology: The adjective is built from "confraternity," a noun that comes from medieval Latin "confraternitas." That word joins "con-," meaning "together," to "frater," the Latin for "brother." The original sense was religious: a confraternity was a voluntary association of laypeople, often attached to a church or guild, that bound its members together in prayer, charity, and mutual aid. The adjective ending "-al," from Latin "-alis," turns the noun into a description of whatever belongs to or resembles such a group. The "mutual support among peers" sense in the definition probably reflects how the idea of brotherhood widened beyond religious bodies to any close fellowship, though the exact stages of that broadening are less clearly documented.

Synonyms: fraternal, brotherly, collegial, communal, associative

Antonyms: antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly