big brother

noun

Synonyms of big brothernext
1
: an older brother
2
: a man who serves as a companion, father figure, and role model for a boy
3
Big Brother [Big Brother, personification of the power of the state in 1984 (1949) by George Orwell]
a
: the leader of an authoritarian state or movement
b
: an all-powerful government or organization monitoring and directing people's actions

Examples of big brother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Two of its former members – Nolan’s fraternity big brother and the master of ceremonies for the event that killed him – were arrested on misdemeanor hazing charges. — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Baek Ki-hyeon aspired to walk a path of virtue and provide for their sister through honest means — but his calculating spymaster big brother was never going to let them out of his grasp. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 Four days prior, Kaia said her big brother made time to watch her on Ryan Murphy’s new thriller, The Shards. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026 Then watch Harold’s brothers reminisce about their childhood and remember their caring big brother. — Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for big brother

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of big brother was in 1809

Rhymes for big brother

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Browse Nearby Words

big boy
big brother
Big Brotherism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Big brother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20brother. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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