archconfraternities
|arch-con-frat-er-ni-ties|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑrtʃkənfrəˈtɜrnɪtiz/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːtʃkɒnfrəˈtɜːnɪtiz/
(archconfraternity)
principal/chief brotherhood
Etymology
'archconfraternity' originates from Greek and Late Latin: the prefix 'arch-' (from Greek 'arkhi-') meaning 'chief, principal' combined with Late Latin 'confraternitas' (from 'con-' meaning 'together' + 'frater' meaning 'brother').
'archconfraternity' developed by combining the prefix 'arch-' with forms of 'confraternity' that descend from Late Latin 'confraternitas' → Old French 'confraternité' → Middle English 'confraternite', yielding the English compound 'archconfraternity'.
Initially it meant 'a chief or principal brotherhood', and over time it has retained that core sense of a confraternity with preeminence or granted authority (now used in modern English to refer to such organizations, in singular or plural).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'archconfraternity': a principal or chief confraternity — a brotherhood or lay religious association, especially one granted authority or special privileges (often by ecclesiastical or papal sanction) over other confraternities.
Several archconfraternities coordinated relief efforts across the diocese after the storm.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/04 23:46