sorority
suh-ROR-uh-tee
/səˈrɔːrəti/
A social, academic, or professional organization for female college students.
Refers specifically to women's campus societies created to foster academic achievement, service, and lifelong friendship.
The story behind the word. In 1874, Syracuse University Latin professor Frank Smalley suggested the term 'sorority' (from Latin 'soror' for sister) for Gamma Phi Beta, feeling the existing word 'female fraternity' was linguistic nonsense.
Word relationships
- sisterhood: Sisterhood emphasizes the emotional state of solidarity among women, whereas sorority denotes the formal organizational entity.
- fraternity: Fraternity refers specifically to an all-male or co-ed organizational counterpart.
Commonly confused with
- fraternity: Sororities are established for women, while fraternities are traditionally established for men.
Word family
- sororal (adjective): Sisterly or relating to a sister.
Collocations
- sorority house
- join a sorority
- sorority sister
- sorority president
Example sentences
- "She joined the sorority after attending several autumn recruitment events and meeting the active members." Campus recruitment
- "The sorority hosted an annual charity gala that raised thousands for regional children's hospitals." Community involvement
Memory hook
SO-rority starts with SO, just like SO-many sisters. Sisterhood in college life
When not to use
Do not use to describe an all-male collegiate organization.
Fun facts
- Before the word 'sorority' was invented in 1874, women's Greek organizations were officially incorporated as 'female fraternities'.
Related words
Explore more words
coeducation, single-sex, fellowship, dormitory, scholarship, Prom
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