fraternize
verb
frat·er·nize ˈfra-tər-ˌnīz 
fraternized; fraternizing
intransitive verb
1
: to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms
fraternized with the other guests at the party
2
a
: to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders
were ordered not to fraternize with the enemy
b
: to be friendly or amiable
fraternization
ˌfra-tər-nə-ˈzā-shən
noun fraternizer
ˈfra-tər-ˌnī-zər
noun 
Did you know?
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
- associate
- chum
- company
- consociate
- consort
- hang (around or out)
- hobnob
- hook up
- mess around
- pal (around)
- run
- sort
- travel
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
It is usually unwise to fraternize with your employees. don't fraternize just with people of the same race, religion, or social background
Recent Examples on the Web And don’t fraternize at your desk; go to a break room. 
Yec, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Whether made ironically or in harmless fun, the #prettyfriendgroup and #baddiefriend hashtags have many videos from fun, fashionable and, objectively attractive folk who fraternize with people who fulfill a similar brief. L'oréal Blackett, refinery29.com, 4 May 2022 That’s a pretty damning critique, which must be in some way inspired by Strickland’s own experience with such institutions, where wealthy patrons get to fraternize with the artists. Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Feb. 2022 Known to fraternize with people at the edge of the water, Old Ben often begged for food and was said to be recognizable by the white spot and bump on his head. oregonlive, 29 Nov. 2021 At high densities of states, electrons can more easily fraternize among themselves. Quanta Magazine, 14 June 2021 Its members came together to celebrate canoeing, but also to fraternize at oyster roasts, dances and musicales. Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2020 Players may not socialize or fraternize with opponents before, during or after games. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 25 June 2020 The directive ordered Taliban fighters not to fight but also not to fraternize with Afghan national security forces. Kathy Gannon, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2020 See More
Yec, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Whether made ironically or in harmless fun, the #prettyfriendgroup and #baddiefriend hashtags have many videos from fun, fashionable and, objectively attractive folk who fraternize with people who fulfill a similar brief. L'oréal Blackett, refinery29.com, 4 May 2022 That’s a pretty damning critique, which must be in some way inspired by Strickland’s own experience with such institutions, where wealthy patrons get to fraternize with the artists. Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Feb. 2022 Known to fraternize with people at the edge of the water, Old Ben often begged for food and was said to be recognizable by the white spot and bump on his head. oregonlive, 29 Nov. 2021 At high densities of states, electrons can more easily fraternize among themselves. Quanta Magazine, 14 June 2021 Its members came together to celebrate canoeing, but also to fraternize at oyster roasts, dances and musicales. Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2020 Players may not socialize or fraternize with opponents before, during or after games. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 25 June 2020 The directive ordered Taliban fighters not to fight but also not to fraternize with Afghan national security forces. Kathy Gannon, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1
fraternizing
verb
1
as in traveling
to come or be together as friends don't fraternize just with people of the same race, religion, or social background Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- traveling
- associating
- mingling
- collaborating
- bonding
- mixing
- consorting
- running
- travelling
- connecting
- joining
- befriending
- hobnobbing
- relating
- cooperating
- chumming
- socializing
- sorting
- companying
- grouping
- friending
- messing around
- consociating
- being friends with
- clubbing
- teaming
- rallying
- allying
- hooking up
- affiliating
- coupling
- colluding
- tying
- linking
- ganging
- confederating
- siding
- attaching
- banding
- taking up with
- interrelating
- conjoining
- rubbing elbows (with)
- wedding
- rubbing shoulders (with)
- keeping company (with)
- hanging (around or out)
- knotting
- leaguing
- falling in with
- palling (around)
- getting along
- getting on
- tieing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- avoiding
- shunning
- snubbing
- alienating
- dispersing
- estranging
- cold-shouldering
- disbanding
- splitting
- splitting (up)
- divorcing
- dissociating
- severing
- disjoining
- sundering
- breaking up
- disuniting
2
as in mingling
to take part in social activities a group of kids fraternizing together after school every day Synonyms & Similar Words
- mingling
- mixing
- socializing
- associating
- hobnobbing
- partying
- carousing
- rubbing elbows
- reveling
- going out
- stepping out
- rubbing shoulders
- revelling
- circulating
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- avoiding
- shunning
- eschewing
- snubbing
- slighting
- Antalya
- antambulacral
- antanaclasis
- antananarivi
- Antananarivo
- antananarivoes
- antananarivos
- antapex
- antapexes
- antaphrodisiacs
- antapices
- Antarctalian
- antarctic
- antarctic archipelago
- antarctic beech
- antarctic circle
- Antarctic krill
- Antarctic minke whale
- antarctic ocean
- Antarctic Peninsula
- Antarctic toothfish
- Antarctic, the
- Antarctica
- antarcticae
- antarcticas