1
: a female who has one or both parents in common with another
2
often capitalized
a
: a member of a women's religious order (as of nuns or deaconesses)
especially
: one of a Roman Catholic congregation under simple vows
b
: a girl or woman who is a member of a Christian church
3
a
: a girl or woman regarded as a comrade
b
: a girl or woman who shares with another a common national or racial origin
especially
: a Black girl or woman
4
: one that is closely similar to or associated with another
sister cities
5
chiefly British
: nurse
7
: a member of a sorority
Examples of sister in a Sentence
The sisters live in the convent.
Recent Examples on the Web
The newborns would be cared for by the sisters, who baptized them into the Catholic faith.
—
Time, 28 May 2025
After graduating from a Dickensian church-run school and completing a year of college – supported by the meager salaries of his schoolteacher sisters – he was summoned at age 17 to New York by his four brothers, who’d already escaped across the Atlantic.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 28 May 2025
All of that stuff really did stem from [our friend’s] non-sighted sister not wanting to see the ugly parts of the world.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
That includes their sister, who now only performs as a hobby.
—Peyton Dix, Them., 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sister
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Time, 28 May 2025
After graduating from a Dickensian church-run school and completing a year of college – supported by the meager salaries of his schoolteacher sisters – he was summoned at age 17 to New York by his four brothers, who’d already escaped across the Atlantic.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 28 May 2025
All of that stuff really did stem from [our friend’s] non-sighted sister not wanting to see the ugly parts of the world.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025
That includes their sister, who now only performs as a hobby.
—Peyton Dix, Them., 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sister
Cite this Entry
“Sister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sister. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sister
noun
sis·ter
ˈsis-tər 
1
: a female who has one or both parents in common with another individual
2
often capitalized
: a member of a religious community of women : nun
3
a
: a fellow female member of a group
b
: a girl or woman who shares a common national or racial origin with another
4
: one that is closely similar to or associated with another
sister schools
sister ships
5
chiefly British
: nurse entry 1 sense 2
sisterly
adjective or adverb
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