plural bros
1
informal : brother
… Tommy has a worldview that's larger than his baby bro's.Leah Rozen
2
US slang
a
: a male friend
hanging out with his bros
One quirky edge the Olympics haven't yet sanded away is the habit of extreme athletes to stick together. Like, no matter where we're from, we're all bros. That kind of thing.Devin Gordon et al.
b
used as a friendly way of addressing a man or boy
Hey, bro, what's up?
Catch you later, bro.
c
: a young male who is part of a group of similar male friends stereotypically characterized as hearty, athletic, self-confident, party-loving, etc.
The recent season of "Project Greenlight," on HBO, made explicit how resistant to race talk Hollywood can be, a stifling culture of bros bonding with mirror versions of themselves.Emily Nussbaum
These were nerds who could pass for bros on a dorm-room sofa …Ben McGrath
often used before another noun
It's the continuation of the bro culture. In my experience, in this world right now, white guys have an advantage. In their training, they've been given access and tools that I haven't. White men get behind each other and empower themselves.Tanya Holland

Examples of bro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So Issa decides to bring out the real Paul Baker by inviting over all his bros. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 Take the man behind the quote, Samir (Malik Elassal), who’s introduced as an aspiring FinTech bro in the middle of making amends for sleeping with a woman who was too drunk to consent. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026 Once confined to biotech labs and the disposable income of Silicon Valley billionaires, longevity is no longer a tech bro hobby and has become a consumer aspiration in its own right. Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026 When the bros hit the road on their seemingly endless Burning Up run, Magnus will be tagging along as opening act on select dates. Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bro

Word History

Etymology

by alteration

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bro was circa 1530

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bro. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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