ˈfrad.ə(r)ˌnīz, -atə- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Usage: see -ize
Etymology: French fraterniser, from Medieval Latin fraternizare, from Latin fraternus brotherly (from frater brother) + Medieval Latin -izare -ize — more at brother
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms : engage in comradely social intercourse
he sent a detachment of cavalry to reconnoiter the route again and fraternize with the Indians — Bernard De Voto
guest of honor at a dinner … where he fraternized with seven prominent hoodlums — Polly Adler
the militiamen were persuaded to lay down their arms and fraternize with the strikers — American Guide Series: Maryland
greater opportunities for the people of the western nations to mingle and fraternize with each other — Saturday Review
b. : to associate on intimate terms with members of a hostile group (as civilians of an occupied country) especially when contrary to military orders
caught the men fraternizing
the crime of fraternizing with foreigners — H.W.Carter
especially : to have sexual intercourse with a woman of an occupied country
by the first few weeks of occupation 70 percent of our troops had fraternized in husbandly fashion — John McPartland
c. : to be friendly or amiable
2. of animals : to mingle, live together, or inhabit the same area without hostility
after mating, it is believed that the male lives alone and does not fraternize even with others of his own sex, while the female orang retires to bear her young alone — Weston La Barre
still a few antelope in the cattle country; they fraternize easily with the domestic beasts — Tom Marvel
transitive verb
archaic : to bring into a fraternal or friendly sympathetic relationship
• frat·er·niz·er -zə(r) noun -s