sibling

Everyday

A sibling is a brother or sister. tree →

In the lessons

In family lessons, siblings are children who share one or both parents; half-siblings share one parent; step-siblings are joined through a parent's marriage; twins are siblings born at the same time. Sibling rivalry means brothers and sisters competing or arguing, which is normal; sharing, taking turns and talking it out help. In maths problems: «Ella has 3 siblings» means 3 brothers and/or sisters, not counting Ella herself. Phrases: «older sibling», «younger sibling», «sibling rivalry», «only child» (no siblings).

Examples

• I have two siblings: a brother and a sister. tree →
• Do you have any siblings? tree →
• Sibling rivalry is normal, but be kind. tree →
• My younger sibling started school this year. tree →
• An only child has no siblings. tree →
• Twins are siblings born on the same day. tree →
• Siblings often share bedrooms. tree →
• If there are 4 children in a family, each child has 3 siblings. tree →

Note

Plural siblings. «Sibling» is a neutral word for brother or sister. In maths problems, siblings do not include the person themselves: a family with 5 children → each has 4 siblings. Half-siblings and step-siblings count as siblings in everyday speech.