soror

Soror is a Latin noun meaning sister. In English, it is primarily encountered in religious, historical, or scholarly contexts as a formal or liturgical term for a female member of a religious community or sisterhood. Within religious orders, members are often addressed as Soror followed by a name, parallel to the masculine Frater used for male members.

Etymology and derivatives: Soror is the root of the English word sorority, which denotes a sisterhood or a society of women, especially a college or university organization. The form sororitas appears in Latin phrases meaning sisterhood, and several modern terms related to female solidarity trace back to this root. The word’s use in everyday modern English is uncommon outside these specific contexts.

Usage: In contemporary general English, soror is rare and largely confined to classical texts, liturgical translations, or discussions of religious life and Latin vocabulary. In some modern contexts, the term soror may appear as a symbolic or informal form of female solidarity, but this is not a standardized or formal usage. The masculine counterpart to soror is frater, used to refer to male members of religious or fraternal groups.

See also: frater; sorority; sister (in religious life).