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.
Needless to say, big brother Jason wasn't too pleased to hear about his brother's rookie purchase. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Aemond tries to sneakily kill his kingly big brother, Aegon (because now that Aegon's son is dead, Aemond is his heir). — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 June 2026 Finale has the same attentiveness to detail as its big brother, the same sense of adventure with specialty options, but with an exquisitely crispy New York crust. — Peter St. Onge updated June 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026 Nearly all of their visitors have been from the entertainment world, but Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and big brother, Jason, had British Royalty take time to speak with them. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 July 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

See All Rhymes for big brother

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 7 Jul. 2026.

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