sibling

/ˈsɪblɪŋ/

brother or sister

She has two siblings, a brother and a sister.

She has two brothers/sisters.

formal

A brother or sister; a person who shares at least one parent with another person.

My sibling lives in another city, so we only see each other during holidays.

My brother or sister lives elsewhere, so we meet mainly on holidays.

The term is gender‑neutral and can refer to either a full sibling, half‑sibling, or step‑sibling.

Collocations

older siblinga sibling who is older than youyounger siblinga sibling who is younger than youclose sibling relationshipa strong, supportive bond between siblings

a child of one's step‑parent, not biologically related

a sibling who shares only one parent

Choose 'sibling' instead of 'brother' or 'sister' when you don't need to specify gender.

When discussing family dynamics, 'sibling' keeps the conversation inclusive of all genders.

From Old English 'sibb' meaning 'kin, relative' + diminutive suffix '-ling', originally meaning 'a person of kin'.

Use 'sibling' when gender is irrelevant or when referring to both brothers and sisters collectively.

sib

kin, relative

root

-ling

person associated with

suffix

English Dictionary