sister

noun

sis·​ter ˈsi-stər How to pronounce sister (audio)
1
: a female who has one or both parents in common with another
2
often capitalized
a
: a member of a women's religious order (as of nuns or deaconesses)
especially : one of a Roman Catholic congregation under simple vows
b
: a girl or woman who is a member of a Christian church
3
a
: a girl or woman regarded as a comrade
b
: a girl or woman who shares with another a common national or racial origin
especially : a Black girl or woman
4
: one that is closely similar to or associated with another
sister cities
5
chiefly British : nurse
6
a
: girl, woman
b
: person
usually used in the phrase weak sister
7
: a member of a sorority

Examples of sister in a Sentence

The sisters live in the convent.
Recent Examples on the Web Wilfredo Gonzalez-Rivera, 26, was raised in Puerto Rico by a single mother who worked at various retail jobs to support him and his older sister. Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 All About Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad’s Parents, Vivian and Andrew Allen Like her mom and her mom’s sister, actress Debbie Allen, Condola was interested in performing. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 Police have questioned someone in connection with Marcos Lugo's New Year's Day death, sister says. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 The two female victims were sisters, Smith said, describing the incident as a domestic shooting. Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 Finneas accompanied his sister on piano, while an orchestra joined in behind them, bathed in pink light. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2024 The actor, who walked the carpet with his sister Mandi Gosling, paired it with a black shirt which has silver piping. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Yet the bank, along with its sister agency the Africa Development Bank, is funding stand-alone solar pump projects in Togo, Niger, and elsewhere across the continent. Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024 Her only sister, Josephine Sidney Range, died in 2009. Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sister.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English suster, sister, partly from Old English sweostor and partly from Old Norse systir sister; akin to Latin soror sister, Sanskrit svasṛ

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sister was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sister

Cite this Entry

“Sister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sister. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sister

noun
sis·​ter ˈsis-tər How to pronounce sister (audio)
1
: a female who has one or both parents in common with another individual
2
often capitalized : a member of a religious community of women : nun
3
a
: a fellow female member of a group
b
: a girl or woman who shares a common national or racial origin with another
4
: one that is closely similar to or associated with another
sister schools
sister ships
5
chiefly British : nurse entry 1 sense 2
sisterly adjective or adverb

Medical Definition

sister

noun
sis·​ter ˈsis-tər How to pronounce sister (audio)
chiefly British
: a head nurse in a hospital ward or clinic
broadly : nurse
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!