Dictionary

sibling en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsɪb.lɪŋ/
• /ˈsɪb.lin/
• sĭbʹ-lĭng

Etymology

First use appears c. 1903, a modern revival of Old English sibling (“relative, a relation, kinsman”), equivalent to sib + -ling. Compare Middle English siblynges pl, sib, sibbe (“relative; kinsman”), German Sippe. The term apparently meant merely kin or relative until the 20th century when it was applied in a way that aided the study of genetics, which led to its specialized use. For example, the OED has a citation in 1902 in which sibling must be defined for those who do not know the intended meaning.

Meanings

1. A person who shares a parent; one's brother or sister who one shares a parent with.
   • She also had one sibling, her younger brother Joshua, who was born a year after her. 2026 July 29, Nicholas Muhoro, “Amy Billig Vanished While Hitchhiking Through Coconut Grove. Then the Calls Began”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 31 Jul 2026:
   • None of my siblings are married yet.
2. A node in a data structure that shares its parent with another node.
3. The most closely related species, or one of several most closely related species when none can be determined to be more closely related.
   • D. simulans, D. mauritiana and D. sechellia (which we will call “the siblings” when we do not need to distinguish among them) have homosequential polytene chromosome banding patterns differing from those of D. melanogaster by one long inversion on chromosome arm 3R and a few much smaller inversions. 1990 April 1, P. Hutter et al., “A genetic basis for the inviability of hybrids between sibling species of Drosophila”, in Genetics, volume 124, number 4, pages 909–920:
   • Bush suggested that this difference might represent a case of chromosomal polymorphism or, more likely, sibling species. 2015 November 26, Lucie Vaníčková et al., “Current knowledge of the species complex Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Brazil”, in ZooKeys, volume 540, →DOI, pages 211–237:

Forms

Deriveds

multisibling · siblinghood · three-quarter sibling (Compound words and expressions) · adoptive sibling (Compound words and expressions) · blood sibling (Compound words and expressions) · cross-sibling (Compound words and expressions) · biosibling · siblinged · co-sibling (Compound words and expressions) · intersibling · nibling · siblicide · milk sibling (Compound words and expressions) · stepsibling (Compound words and expressions) · full-sibling (Compound words and expressions) · sibcest · niefling · sibling fucker (Compound words and expressions) · 3/4 sibling (Compound words and expressions) · half-sibling (Compound words and expressions) · pibling · siblingly · saviour sibling (Compound words and expressions) · foster sibling (Compound words and expressions) · sibling species (Compound words and expressions) · sibling-in-law (Compound words and expressions) · pseudosibling · dibling · god-sibling (Compound words and expressions) · nonsibling · siblinglike · little sibling (Compound words and expressions) · halfsibling (Compound words and expressions) · nephling · siblingless · siblingship · my sibling in Christ (Compound words and expressions) · sibling rivalry (Compound words and expressions)

Translations (172)

cmn 同胞 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lut suq'ʷaʔ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pwn marekakakaka (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lv māsa (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · id saudara (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · de Geschwisterchen (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · hi सहोदर (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · toi munyoko (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · it parente (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · my မောင်နှမ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · btx agi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ms kakak (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · it sorella (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · la soror (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nan-hbl 兄弟姊妹 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · de Geschwisterkind (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · el αδέλφι (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ja 同胞 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · id kakak (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kmr xwişk û bira (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · da bror (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kmr xwişkûbira (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kk бауыр (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · uk суро́дженець (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fo systkin (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kix thāthōng (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · sv syskon (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ko 형제자매 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kea armun (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · az bacı-qardaş (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nl sibling (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · sl sorojenec (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · yo ẹ̀gbọ́n (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ca germà (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · bjn dangsanak (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · da søskende (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ug قېرىنداش (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pt irmã (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr frœur (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · la germana (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ja 同胞 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lo ອ້າຽນ້ອຽ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nv hakʼis (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ru брат (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · sk súrodenec (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ru си́блинг (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cic tibaapishi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ko 형제 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · id adik (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cs sourozenec (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lmy kaiya (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · it congiunto (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · mba sulud (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · bcl tugang (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · zza wa (diq) (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · hu testvér (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ms abang (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cmn 兄弟姐妹 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ms اديق (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · no søsken (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ilo kabsat (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · jv sadulur (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ka და-ძმა (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · de Geschwister (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · it fratello (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · vi anh chị em (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ur سہودر (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ja 兄弟兄弟姉妹 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · gl irmá (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · is systkin (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · hil utod (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · tt кардәш (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · eo gefrato (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · vo gem (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ru сибс (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pag agik (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · aii ܐܲܚ̈ܘܵܬ݂ܹܐ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · de Schwester (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · es hermana (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fa همشیره (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · it consanguineo (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · myp ’ahaigí–gíi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pdc Gschwischder (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nl brus (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · sw ndugu (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ill ari (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ilo kaka (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cy brodyr a/neu chwiorydd (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kg lêki (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · la frater (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · th น้อง (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cmn 兄弟 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · th พี่น้อง (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · gl irmán (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ee tsɛ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · jv adhi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · bg брат (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ar شَقِيقَة (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ml സഹോദരർ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · it germano (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kea irmon (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fa همنیا (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · vo higem (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cy sibling (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · yo àbúrò (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · de Bruder (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ee nɔvi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · he אַחַאי (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lv brālis (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · zza bra (diq) (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · es hermano (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fi sisarus (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · da søster (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · jv rayi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · la germanus (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ilo kabagis (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nds Bölkenkind (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · eo gefratoj (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pam kapatad (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ms adik (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ka დედმამიშვილი (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nv halah (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pl rodzeństwo (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · jv sadhèrèk (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ca germana (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ms کاکق (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ga siblín (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lut sqa (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · tl kapatid (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · yi געשוויסטער (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ceb utod (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr germain (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · th พี่ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · tr kardeş (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · et õve (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ar شَقِيق (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · uk родже́нство (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lt brolija (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · nv bił hajííjééʼ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr adelphe (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · bdr adi' (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · vo jigem (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · jv ari (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr frères et sœurs (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ga deartháireacha agus/nó deirfiúracha (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ban adi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · pt irmão (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ms ابڠ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ru сестра́ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr frère et sœur (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ceb igsuon (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · jv kangmas (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kl qatanngut (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · chr ᎤᏙ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ilo ading (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr fratrie (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cmn 姐妹 (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · io frato (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fj taci (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · isd waxi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · te తోబుట్టువు (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · war bug-to (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lo ອ້າຍນ້ອງ (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · tl kaka (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · lmy ali (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · min dunsanak (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · fr sibling (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · cic ittibaapishi (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · kg yaya (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · bn সহোদর (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · bg сестра (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister) · ill dadi' (person who shares same parents — see also brother, sister)