sister
SIHS-tuh
Sister (noun) means a female sibling; a daughter sharing the same parents as another person. Example: “My younger sister always borrows my jumpers without asking.”
noun
1
A female sibling; a daughter sharing the same parents as another person.
"My younger sister always borrows my jumpers without asking."
"He and his sister both learned to swim at the same pool."
"My sister lives just a few streets away."
2
A woman felt to be closely bonded with another through shared identity, cause, or community.
"At the meeting, she greeted every woman as a sister in the cause."
"The choir members became sisters, supporting each other through good times and bad."
"The activists referred to each other as sisters in the movement."
3
(UK) A senior nurse, often in charge of a hospital ward.
"The ward sister welcomed the new nurses and showed them around."
"Ask the sister in charge if visiting hours have changed today."
"The sister on duty checked all the patients' charts."
4
A woman belonging to a religious order; a nun.
"The sister lit a candle and prayed quietly in the chapel."
"A kind sister at the convent taught him to play the organ."
"Sister Mary ran the small parish school."
How to use sister
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA female sibling, or by extension a woman treated with sibling-like closeness or respect.
UK vs US
In British English, "sister" is also a hospital job title for a senior nurse — this sense is far less common in American English.
Common pairings
big sister
little sister
sister ward
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Word forms
- Plural
- sisters, sistren
- Third person singular
- sisters
- Past tense
- sistered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
My younger _____ always borrows my jumpers without asking.
Etymology
From Old English sweostor, from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root for "sister" — one of the oldest and most widely shared words in Indo-European languages.
Related words
Rhymes for sister
See all rhymes for sister →Frequently asked questions
What does “sister” mean?
The word “sister” means a female sibling; a daughter sharing the same parents as another person. In plain terms, a female sibling, or by extension a woman treated with sibling-like closeness or respect.
How do you pronounce “sister”?
“Sister” is pronounced SIHS-tuh (/ˈsɪs.tɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “sister” in a sentence?
Here is “sister” used in a sentence: “My sister lives just a few streets away.”
What part of speech is “sister”?
“Sister” is a noun.
Where does the word “sister” come from?
The word “sister” comes from Old English. From Old English sweostor, from Proto-Germanic *swestēr, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root for "sister" — one of the oldest and most widely shared words in Indo-European languages.
Is “sister” a common word?
“Sister” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “sister” have?
“Sister” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a female sibling; a daughter sharing the same parents as another person.
What is the difference between a sister and a sibling?
A sibling is any brother or sister; the word is gender-neutral and simply means a child of the same parents. A sister is specifically a female sibling. So every sister is a sibling, but a sibling could equally be a brother. 'Sibling' is the umbrella term, while 'sister' names the gender.
What is the difference between a half-sister and a step-sister?
A half-sister shares one biological parent with you, either the same mother or the same father. A step-sister shares no blood at all; she becomes your sister when a parent marries her parent. Half-sisters are linked by birth, while step-sisters are linked only by marriage.
What are the types of sister?
Beyond a full sister, who shares both parents, there are half-sisters sharing one parent, step-sisters joined through a parent's remarriage, and adoptive sisters brought into the family legally. 'Sister-in-law' extends the word by marriage, meaning your spouse's sister or your sibling's wife.
What does 'sister' mean outside the family?
'Sister' is used well beyond blood ties. It can mean a nun in a religious order, a fellow woman expressing solidarity, or, in British hospitals, a senior nurse in charge of a ward. It also describes closely linked things, such as a sister company or a sister city.
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