What does bro mean?
Bro is an informal noun used to mean a brother or, more commonly today, a close male friend. It functions both as a reference ('my bro helped me move') and as a direct form of address ('thanks, bro'), making it one of the most familiar friendly terms among men in contemporary English. The word carries a warm, casual connotation, signaling camaraderie and ease, though using it with strangers or in professional settings may come across as too familiar. In recent decades, 'bro' has also developed a cultural sense referring to a recognizable type of young man — often college-aged, athletic, and associated with fraternity life — sometimes with a mildly satirical edge, as in phrases like 'bro culture.' Derived from 'brother' by clipping, the word has been in American use since at least the nineteenth century and remains firmly embedded in everyday speech, advertising, and popular media.
nounAn informal term for a male friend or brother, used especially as a friendly form of address among men. It can also simply mean a brother.
- A brother (informal, often in family contexts).
- A close male friend, used as a friendly term of address.
- A young man stereotypically associated with fraternity culture and a casual, sporty lifestyle.
"Hey bro, are you coming to the game tonight?"
"My bro just moved to Chicago, so I only see him at holidays now."
"The surfers greeted each other with a casual nod and a 'what's up, bro?'"
The plural 'bros' follows standard English pluralization and commonly refers to a group of male friends or, pejoratively, members of 'bro culture.'
"He spent the weekend at the lake with his bros."
Bro started as a clipped form of 'brother' in 19th-century America — and today it's so widespread it has its own subculture, complete with the 'bro hug.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bro
Bro originated as a clipped, colloquial form of 'brother,' first attested in American English in the nineteenth century as a natural spoken shortening of the older word. 'Brother' itself descends from Old English 'brōþor,' which shares a common Germanic root — Proto-Germanic *brōþēr — cognate with Dutch 'broeder,' German 'Bruder,' and ultimately related to Latin 'frāter' and Greek 'phrātēr.' The modern friendly-address sense expanded greatly in twentieth-century American speech, reinforced by its use in African American Vernacular English and later by fraternity and surf/skate culture.
How bro is actually used
Bro is distinctly informal and conversational; it would be out of place in formal writing. While affectionate between friends, addressing a stranger as 'bro' can read as overly familiar or, in some contexts, slightly dismissive. The term is strongly associated with American usage, though it is understood widely elsewhere.
Easily confused with bro
Broth is a savory liquid made from simmering meat or vegetables, while bro is an informal term for a brother or close male friend.