sister
gb/sˈɪstɚ/ us/sˈɪstɚ/
A1
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
female sibling
A girl or woman who has the same mother and father as you.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s sister
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sister' with 'cousin', which refers to the child of your aunt or uncle, not your sibling.
Synonyms
sibling (Gender-neutral term for a brother or sister.)
|
sis (Informal, affectionate form of 'sister'.)
Antonyms
brother (Male equivalent of a sister in the family relationship.)
Collocations
younger sister
|older sister
|big sister
|little sister
|twin sister
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My sister is coming to visit next week.
- She has two sisters and one brother.
- Her younger sister just graduated from college.
- I called my sister to tell her the news.
- They are sisters but they don't look alike.
Learner examples
- My sister is at home.
- I have one sister and one brother.
- Her sister is very kind.
- My sister likes music.
Noun
B1
entity
2
female religious member
A woman who is part of a religious group, especially in Christianity, and who may live in a convent.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'sister' here means a family member, but in this sense it refers to a religious role.
Synonyms
nun (Commonly used for women living in a convent under vows; 'sister' can be broader in some traditions.)
Antonyms
monk (Male equivalent in many religious traditions.)
Collocations
Catholic sister
|Sister Mary
|missionary sister
Themes
religion
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Sister Margaret runs the local charity center.
- The sisters at the convent teach at the school.
- We met a sister who had worked in Africa for many years.
Learner examples
- Sister Anna works at the hospital.
- We saw a sister at the church.
- The sisters help poor people.
Noun
B2
entity
3
female fellow member
A woman who is part of the same group or movement as you, showing friendship or support.
Synonyms
comrade (Gender-neutral term for a fellow member, often political or military.)
Collocations
sister in arms
|union sisters
Themes
social issues
|relationships
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She called her fellow activists her sisters.
- Nurses often refer to each other as sisters in some countries.
- We must support our sisters in the fight for equality.
Learner examples
- The women called each other sisters.
- She is my sister in the union.
- We help our sisters in need.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sister
IPA
GB/sˈɪstɚ/
US/sˈɪstɚ/
Syllables & stress
sis - ter (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sis)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sister
- Plural: sisters
Word family
Expressions
big sister
1/bˈɪɡ sˈɪstɚ/
fixed phrase
older female sibling
An older girl or woman who has the same parents as you.
Examples
- My big sister taught me how to ride a bike.
- He always listens to his big sister's advice.
little sister
1/lˈɪtəl sˈɪstɚ/
fixed phrase
younger female sibling
A younger girl who has the same parents as you.
Examples
- Her little sister started school this year.
- I have to pick up my little sister from practice.
sister city
1/sˈɪstɚ sˈɪti/
fixed phrase
city paired with another city
A city that has an official connection with another city in another country, usually for friendship and cultural exchange.
Examples
- Our town's sister city is in Japan.
- The mayor visited our sister city last month.
sisters under the skin
1/sˈɪstɚz ˈʌndɚ ðə skˈɪn/
idiom
literary
women essentially alike inside
Women who are very different on the outside but are similar in important ways inside.
Examples
- Though they came from different worlds, they were sisters under the skin.
- The two leaders were sisters under the skin in their beliefs.