English Explanatory Dictionary

Big Brother

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Unwarranted, invasive, and discreet surveillance, especially of a people by its government.
  2. Any omnipresent authority or figurehead representing oppressive control.
noun
  1. A sibling's older brother.
  2. Something that is bigger in comparison.
  3. early mobile phones (in China)
  4. Alternative form of Big Brother.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-big brother.wav

Word forms

Big Brother Big Brothers

Etymology

After the nominal leader of Oceania in George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Related words

big sister little brother little sister

Derived words

Big-Brotherish Big Brotherism
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