Meanings
adjectivebrotherless (not comparable)
- not comparableWithout a brother.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*brōþerlaus
- Old Englishbrōþorlēas
- Middle Englishbrotherles
- Englishbrotherless
From Middle English brotherles, from Old English brōþorlēas, from Proto-West Germanic *brōþerlaus, equivalent to brother + -less. Cognate with West Frisian broerleas (“brotherless”), Dutch broederloos (“brotherless”), German bruderlos (“brotherless”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀνάδελφος
- ἀνάδελφος (anádelphos)Without a brother
Greek ανάδελφος
- ανάδελφος (anádelfos)Without a brother
Cite this entry
APA
brotherless. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brotherless
MLA
“brotherless.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brotherless. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brotherless,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brotherless.
Source: brotherless on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.