fraternize
verb
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Both fraternize and fraternal (meaning "of, relating to, or involving brothers") come to us, by way of Medieval Latin, from Latin frater, meaning "brother." Other frater descendants in English include friar, fraternity, and confraternity ("a society devoted especially to a religious or charitable cause"). Even brother itself shares a relationship with frater. These days, although fraternize can still refer to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it often occurs in contexts, such as "fraternizing with the enemy," implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided.
Synonyms
Examples of fraternize in a Sentence
Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2024
Lee strikes out in his initial attempts to connect, but Eugene gradually starts fraternizing with him at bars.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
Guests can kick their night off, before potentially venturing out, at Azul Rooftop or Bar Hugo Rooftops, fraternizing with young New Yorkers.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2024
Traveling far to fraternize might have cost too much energy.
—Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for fraternize 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fraternize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Fraternize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fraternize. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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