A brother is a

man A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromos ...

boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...

who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a

sister A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familial relationships. A full brother is a

first degree relative A first-degree relative (FDR) is a person's parent (father or mother), full sibling (brother or sister) or child. It constitutes a category of family members that largely overlaps with the term nuclear family, but without spouses. If the persons ...

Overview

Grave stele of Eukarpos and Philoxenos from Athens

The term ''brother'' comes from the

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...

*bʰréh₂tēr, which becomes

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''frater'', of the same meaning.

Sibling A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...

warmth or affection between male siblings has been correlated to some more negative effects. In pairs of brothers, higher sibling warmth is related to more risk taking behaviour, although risk taking behaviour is not related to sibling warmth in any other type of sibling pair. The cause of this phenomenon in which sibling warmth is only correlated with risk taking behaviours in brother pairs still is unclear. This finding does, however, suggest that although sibling conflict is a risk factor for risk taking behaviour, sibling warmth does not serve as a protective factor. Some studies suggest that girls having an older brother delays the onset of

menarche Menarche ( ; ) is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female humans. From both social and medical perspectives, it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility. Gir ...

by roughly one year. Research also suggests that the likelihood of being

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

increases with the more older brothers a man has. Some analyzers have suggested that a man's attractiveness to a heterosexual woman may increase with the more he resembles her brother, while his

unattractiveness Unattractiveness or ugliness is the degree to which a person's physical features are considered aesthetically unfavorable of an aesthetic kind. Terminology Ugliness is a property of a person or thing that is unpleasant to look upon and results ...

may increase the more his likeness diverges from her brother. Females with a twin or very close-in-age brother, sometimes view him as their male alter ego, or what they would have been like, if they had a Y chromosomes.

Fraternal relationship

The book Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII written by Aristotle in 350 B.C.E., offers a way in which people should view the relationships between biological brothers. The relationship of brothers is laid out with the following quote: "The friendship of brothers has the characteristics found in that of comrades and in general between people who are like each other, is as much as they belong more to each other and start with a love for each other from their very birth, and in as much as those born to the same parents and brought up together and similarly educated are more akin in character; and the test of time has been applied most fully and convincingly in their case". For these reasons, it is the job of the older brother to influence the ethics of the younger brother by being a person of good action. Aristotle says "by imitating and reenacting the acts of good people, a child becomes habituated to good action". Over time the younger brother will develop the good actions of the older brother as well and be like him. Aristotle also adds this on the matter of retaining the action of doing good once imitated: "Once the habits of ethics or immorality become entrenched, they are difficult to break."Rogers Victor, Kelly. "Raising Ethical Kids with Insights from Plato and Aristotle." Smartparenting.com. SMRT, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. The good habits that are created by the influence of the older brother become habit in the life of the younger brother and turn out to be seemingly permanent. It is the role of the older brother to be a positive influence on the development of the younger brother's upbringing when it comes to the education of ethics and good actions. When positive characteristics are properly displayed to the younger brother by the older brother, these habits and characteristics are imitated and foster an influential understanding of good ethics and positive actions.

Famous brothers

Gracchi The Gracchi brothers were two Roman brothers, sons of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus who was consul in 177 BC. Tiberius, the elder brother, was tribune of the plebs in 133 BC and Gaius, the younger brother, was tribune a decade later in ...

, Ancient Roman reformers *

George Washington Adams George Washington Adams (April 12, 1801 – April 30, 1829) was an American attorney and politician. He was the eldest son of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States. Adams served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives ...

John Adams II John Adams II (July 4, 1803 – October 23, 1834) was an American government functionary and businessman. The second son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams, he is usually called John Adams II to distinguish him from President John Ad ...

, and

Charles Francis Adams Sr. Charles Francis Adams Sr. (August 18, 1807 – November 21, 1886) was an American historical editor, writer, politician, and diplomat. As United States Minister to the United Kingdom during the American Civil War, Adams was crucial to Union effort ...

, politicians *

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...

and

Casey Affleck Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt (born August 12, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award. He beg ...

, actors *

The Alexander Brothers The Alexander Brothers were an easy-listening folk-music duo from Scotland, who had a long career beginning in the 1950s. Career Thomas Armit "Tom" Alexander (25 June 1934 – 9 January 2020) and John "Jack" Armit Alexander (11 November 1935 � ...

; musicians *

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...

William Baldwin William Joseph Baldwin (born February 21, 1963), Note: While birthplace is routinely listed as Massapequa, that town has no hospital, and brother Alec Baldwin was born in nearby Amityville, which does. known also as Billy Baldwin,is an America ...

, Stephen Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, also known as the Baldwin brothers; actors *John Barrymore, John and Lionel Barrymore, actors *Chang and Eng Bunker, the original Siamese twins *George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, Neil Bush and Marvin Bush, sons of George H. W. Bush *David Carradine, Keith Carradine, and Robert Carradine, American actors *Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, and Roger Clinton Jr., Roger Clinton, Jr., his younger half-brother *Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen; filmmakers *Stephen Curry and Seth Curry; current NBA point guards in the Western Conference *Dizzy Dean, Dizzy and Paul Dean (baseball), Daffy Dean, Major League Baseball pitchers *Mark DeBarge, Randy DeBarge, El DeBarge, James DeBarge, and Bobby DeBarge, the male members of the singing group DeBarge *Doud Eisenhower and John Eisenhower, sons of Dwight D. Eisenhower *Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, actors *Isaac Everly and Phil Everly, The Everly Brothers, singers *Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher, members of Oasis (band) *Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, and Maurice Gibb, members of the Brothers Gibb or "Bee Gees" singing group *John Gotti, Gene Gotti, Eugene "Gene" Gotti, Peter Gotti and Richard V. Gotti, and Vincent Gotti, New York "made men" with the Gambino crime family *Frederick Dent Grant, Ulysses S. Grant, and Jesse Root Grant (politician), Jesse Root Grant *Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, known as the Brothers Grimm, German academics and folk tale collectors *Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy, professional wrestlers *Herbert Hoover Jr. and Allan Hoover *Pau Gasol, Pau and Marc Gasol, professional basketball players *O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, and Vernon Isley, members of The Isley Brothers singer-songwriting group and band, which also included their brother-in-law, Chris Jasper *Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson and Randy Jackson (The Jacksons), Randy Jackson, members of The Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons *Jesse James, Jesse and Frank James, Old West outlaws * Kennedy brothers

John F. Kennedy, John, Robert F. Kennedy, Robert and Ted Kennedy, politicians *Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and Patrick J. Kennedy, politicians *Terry Labonte and Bobby Labonte, race car drivers *Robert Todd Lincoln, Edward Baker Lincoln, William Wallace Lincoln and Tad Lincoln, sons of Abraham Lincoln *Loud Brothers, piano designers and manufacturers *Eli Manning, Eli and Peyton Manning, National Football League quarterbacks *Mario and Luigi, video game characters *John McCain, U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate, and Joe McCain, American stage actor, newspaper reporter *Justin McElroy, Justin, Travis McElroy, Travis, and Griffin McElroy, podcasters *Billy Leon McCrary and Benny Loyd McCrary, wrestlers known as The McGuire Twins *Harold Nixon, Richard Nixon, Donald Nixon, Arthur Nixon, and Edward Nixon *Alan Osmond, Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond, Jay Osmond and Donny Osmond, members of The Osmonds *Logan Paul and Jake Paul, YouTubers, internet personalities, and actors *Neil Reagan, Neil and Ronald Reagan *Ringling brothers, circus performers, owners, and show runners *John D. Rockefeller and William Rockefeller, co-founders of Standard Oil and members of the Rockefeller family *Cornelius Roosevelt and James I. Roosevelt *Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Kermit Roosevelt, Archibald Bulloch Roosevelt, and Quentin Roosevelt *James Roosevelt, Elliot Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., and John Aspinwall Roosevelt *Russo brothers, filmmakers, producers, and directors *Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, professional hockey players *Wallace Shawn and Allen Shawn, writer and composer of The Fever (2004 film), The Fever *Bobby Shriver, Timothy Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver, Mark Shriver, and Anthony Shriver *Thomas Smothers, Thomas "Tommy" Smothers and Dick Smothers, Richard "Dick" Smothers, performing artists known as the Smothers Brothers *Prabowo Subianto and Hashim Djojohadikusumo, politicians *Fred Trump Jr., Donald Trump, and Robert Trump *Vincent van Gogh, painter, and Theo van Gogh (art dealer), Theo van Gogh, art dealer *J. J. Watt, T. J. Watt, Derek Watt, National Football League Players *Damon Wayans, Dwayne Wayans, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, performing artists, directors and producers *Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein, film producers *Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson, members of The Beach Boys *Marvin Winans, Carvin Winans, Michael Winans, and Ronald Winans, members of The Winans, singers and musicians *Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright, known as the Wright brothers, pioneer aviators *Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, politicians

Other works about brothers

* In the Bible: ** Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve ** Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac and Rebecca ** Moses and Aaron, prophets ** Sts. Saint Peter, Peter and Andrew the Apostle, Andrew, apostles ** Sts. James, son of Zebedee, James and John the Apostle, John, apostles *My Brother, My Brother and Me, ''My Brother, My Brother, and Me'', podcast *''Saving Private Ryan'' (1998), film *''Simon & Simon'', television series *Supernatural (U.S. TV series), ''Supernatural'', American television series *''The Brothers Karamazov'', novel *''The Wayans Bros.'', television series *''Bonanza'' (1959–1973), television series *In the Ramayana: **Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata (Ramayana), Bharata, and Shatrughna *In the Mahabharata: **The Pandavas – Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Sahadeva and Nakula **The Kauravas – One hundred brothers including Duryodhana, Dushasana and Vikarna, among others

References

External links