big brother

big broth·er

B b

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [big bruhth -er or for 9, bruhth -ur]
- /bɪg ˈbrʌð ər or for 9, ˈbrʌðˈɜr/
- /bɪɡ ˈbrʌðə(r)/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [big bruhth -er or for 9, bruhth -ur]
- /bɪg ˈbrʌð ər or for 9, ˈbrʌðˈɜr/

Definitions of big brother words

uncountable noun big brother People sometimes use Big Brother to refer to a person, government, or organization when they think it has complete control over people and is always checking what they do. 3
noun big brother a person, organization, etc, that exercises total dictatorial control 3
noun big brother a television gameshow format in which a small number of people living in accommodation sealed off from the outside world are constantly monitored by TV cameras. Viewers vote each week to expel a person from the group until there is only one person left, who wins a cash prize 3
noun big brother one's older brother 3
noun big brother a man who undertakes the role of friend and mentor to a disadvantaged boy, as through a social agency 3
noun big brother the state or some other organization regarded as ruthlessly invading the privacy of individuals in seeking to exercise control over them 3

See all 14 definitions of big brother

Information block about the term

Origin of big brother

First appearance:

before 1860

One of the 29% newest English words

1860-65; 1949 for defs 3, 4, the epithet of a dictator in G. Orwell's novel 1984

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Big brother

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Big brother

big brother popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 31% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 64% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

big brother usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for big brother

noun big brother

authoritarian — If you describe a person or an organization as authoritarian, you are critical of them controlling everything rather than letting people decide things for themselves.
despot — A despot is a ruler or other person who has a lot of power and who uses it unfairly or cruelly.
dictator — A dictator is a ruler who has complete power in a country, especially power which was obtained by force and is used unfairly or cruelly.
oppressor — to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power: a people oppressed by totalitarianism.
strongman — a person who performs remarkable feats of strength, as in a circus.

All 7 Synonyms of big brother