Sister Meaning: Female Sibling Definition & Examples

Meaning 1：female sibling (sister)

sister 🔊

/ˈsɪstər/

A girl or woman who shares one or both parents with you. She is your family.

female sibling 🔊

➕

/ˈfiːmeɪl ˈsɪblɪŋ/

A girl or woman who has one or both parents in common with another person; a female sibling.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：beginner

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'swuster', related to Latin 'soror' (sister).

💡 Mnemonic

Sis + ter = Your sibling who is always there for you.

📖 Example

My sister is helping me review for the math exam tonight. 🔊 My sister is helping me review for the math exam tonight.

🔗 Collocations

older sister – A sister who is born before you; an elder female sibling.

sister-in-law – The sister of one's spouse; or the wife of one's brother.

sister city – A city that has a formal twinning agreement with another city.

🔄 Synonyms

sibling (n.) – A brother or sister; a person who shares one or both parents with another.

sis (n.) – Informal short form of sister.

kinswoman (n.) – A female relative, especially a sister (formal).

🚫 Antonyms

brother (n.) – A male sibling.

male sibling (n.) – A brother; a sibling who is male.

🌱 Derivatives

sisterly (adj.) – Characteristic of or befitting a sister; affectionate and supportive.

sisterhood (n.) – The relationship between sisters; or a community of women united by a common cause.

sister-in-law (n.) – The sister of one's spouse; or the wife of one's brother.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'sister' comes from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, tracing to Proto-Indo-European *swésōr. It has remained stable across Germanic languages.