fraternize

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2011 is: fraternize • \FRAT-er-nyze\  • verb 1 : to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms 2 a : to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders b : to be friendly or amiable Examples: The boss warned that fraternizing with the junior employees could be a risky career move for a manager. "Packers and Bears players fraternize with each other in the offseason. They attend each other's charity functions. They work out together and, dare I say it, look out for one another." -- From an article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin), January 22, 2011 Did you know? Both "fraternize" and "fraternal" (meaning "of, relating to, or involving brothers") come to us, by way of Medieval Latin, from Latin "frater," meaning "brother." Other "frater" descendants in English include "friar," "fraternity," and "confraternity" ("a society devoted especially to a religious or charitable cause"). Even "brother" itself shares a relationship with "frater." These days, although "fraternize" can still refer to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it often occurs in contexts, such as "fraternizing with the enemy," implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.