Brother’s vs Brothers’ vs Brothers: Which is Correct!

Author:

Waqas Ashraf

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Brother’s vs Brothers’ vs Brothers: confusion often arises due to their similar spellings. The correct choice depends on understanding possessives and plurals in English grammar.

In short, “brother’s” indicates singular possession, “brothers’” denotes plural possession, and “brothers” is simply the plural form without possession.

Understanding these nuances can significantly improve your writing clarity and accuracy when discussing familial relationships or any group dynamics involving brothers.

Table of Contents

Brother’s vs Brothers’ vs Brothers:

The correct option depends on how many brothers you’re referring to and whether you’re talking about something they possess:

Brother’s: This is used when referring to something that belongs to one specific brother.

Example: “I borrowed my brother’s car.”

Brothers’: This is used when referring to something that belongs to more than one brother.

Example: “The brothers’ room was a mess.”

Brothers: This is the simple plural form of “brother” and doesn’t indicate possession.

Example: “I have two brothers.”

Brothers Meaning:

“Brothers” has a few different meanings, depending on the context.

Here are the main ones:

Male Siblings: This is the most common meaning. Brothers are male children who share one or both parents.

They can be full brothers or half-brothers.
Close Male Friends: Sometimes, “brother” is used figuratively to describe a close male friend who is like a brother to you. This is a term of endearment and signifies a strong bond.
For example, you might say “He’s like a brother to me” about a close friend.

Brooks Brothers:

Brooks Brothers is an American high-end luxury fashion company founded in 1818. Here’s a breakdown of what Brooks Brothers is known for:

Luxury Clothing: They offer a variety of clothing for men, women, and children, with a focus on classic styles and high-quality materials.
Rich History: Being the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States, they have a long and storied history in American fashion.

Menswear Leader: Brooks Brothers played a significant role in shaping American menswear, introducing innovations like ready to wear clothing and the button-down collar.
Diverse Products: In addition to clothing, they also offer a range of home furnishings and accessories.

Brothers vs Brothers:

Term	Meaning	Example
Brothers	Plural form of “brother.” Does not indicate possession.	I have two brothers.
Brothers’	Possession by more than one brother.	The brothers’ room was a mess.

Where Do You Put the Apostrophe in Brothers?

You only use an apostrophe with “brothers” if you’re indicating possession by more than one brother.

Here’s a breakdown:

Brothers: This is the simple plural form, with no apostrophe. It means you have more than one brother, but it doesn’t say anything about who owns something.
Brothers’: Here, the apostrophe comes after the “s”. This indicates that something belongs to more than one brother.

Is the Word Brother Singular or Plural?

The word “brother” itself is singular. It refers to one male sibling.

However, “brother” has a plural form, which is “brothers.” This is used when you’re referring to more than one male sibling.

How Do You Use Brothers in A Sentence?

Here are some examples of how to use “brothers” in a sentence.

I have two brothers and one sister.
My brothers and I enjoy playing video games together.
The older brothers always picked on the younger ones.

He’s like a brother to me, even though we’re not related.
We’ve been friends since childhood, practically brothers.
Through thick and thin, we’ve always had each other’s backs, like brothers.

The fraternity brothers held a charity event.
The monks in the monastery lived a simple life, treating each other as brothers.

What Type of Noun Is Brother’s?

“Brother’s” is a possessive noun. It indicates ownership by a single brother.

Here’s a breakdown of why “brother’s” is a possessive noun:

Noun: A noun is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea. “Brother” on its own is a noun because it identifies a male sibling.
Possessive: When you add an apostrophe (‘) and “s” to a noun to show ownership, it becomes a possessive noun. “Brother’s” shows that something belongs to one brother.

Brother’s Possessive Form:

Brother’s: This form is used when indicating something belonging to one brother.
Example: My brother’s car is black.
Brothers’: This form indicates possession by multiple brothers.

Example: The brothers’ bikes were all lined up in the garage.
Brothers: This form is simply the plural of “brother” with no possessive connotation.
Example: I have three brothers.

Brothers Plural Form:

“Brother’s” is the possessive form of “brother,” indicating ownership or belonging to a singular brother.
“Brothers’” is the possessive form for plural nouns ending in -s, denoting ownership or belonging to multiple brothers.
“Brothers” is the plural form of “brother,” used when referring to more than one brother collectively.

Using Brothers in a Sentence:

Brother’s: This indicates possession or belonging to a singular brother.
Example: My brother’s car is red.
Brothers’: This shows possession or belonging to multiple brothers.

Example: The brothers’ bikes were parked outside.
Brothers: This refers to multiple brothers without showing possession.
Example: The brothers went fishing together.

What is the correct plural possessive form of brother-in-law is brothers-in-law’s?:

The grammatically correct plural possessive form for “brother-in-law” is actually brothers-in-law’s.

Here’s the breakdown:

Brothers-in-law: This is the standard plural form for “brother-in-law” since the plural is made with the base noun “brother.”

Possessive: To show possession, we add an apostrophe (‘) and “s” at the end.

However, there is an ongoing debate about the use of brothers-in-laws’.

Technically incorrect: From a strictly grammatical standpoint, “brothers-in-law’s” is the correct way to show plural possession for a compound noun like “brother-in-law.”

Awkward in practice: Some people find the construction “brothers-in-law’s” a bit awkward due to the double pluralization

Conclusion and Final Thoughts!

The correct usage of “Brother’s,” “Brothers’,” and “Brothers” is essential to convey precise meaning in writing.

Understanding the differences between these terms ensures clarity and accuracy in communication.

Remembering that “Brother’s” indicates possession by a singular brother, “Brothers’” denotes joint ownership among multiple brothers, and “Brothers” simply refers to more than one brother will help you use these words appropriately in your writing.