fraternization

[ frat-er-nahy-zey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of associating with a person or group in a friendly way:

   He sees race relations in Brazil as relatively harmonious, with fraternization in sports and carnivals.

2. social or, especially, intimate association with natives of a conquered country, with enemy or allied troops, between members of an organization who are of different ranks, etc.:

   The colonel was disciplined for fraternization with a junior enlisted airman.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fraternization¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; fraterniz(e) ( def ) + -ation ( def )

Example Sentences

Proper bird behavior training, exercise and fraternization are vital because “an unhappy bird can experience psychosis, which can lead to aggression, mutilation, feather plucking, even eating themselves, which is very scary.”

From Los Angeles Times

The company maintains strict divisions between departments, and romantic fraternization is discouraged.

From New York Times

While no fraternization between the teams was allowed, Lesko remembers great camaraderie among her teammates.

From Seattle Times

According to Carnival’s statement, the company fired Anggara after the incident was reported because it has a zero-tolerance policy for “crew fraternization with guests.”

From Washington Post

The text excludes “casual acquaintanceship or ordinary fraternization in a business or social context.”

From Washington Post

Related Words

• association
• collusion
• combination
• concert
• participation
• partnership
• teamwork