(plural) the lay members of a male religious order
"During the monastery's annual feast, the abbess invited all the brethren to join them in the refectory for dinner."
plural of brother
"After visiting several churches, she finally found peace within The Brethren community where everyone gathered for simple worship."
The body of members, especially of a fraternal, religious or military order.
any Brethren denomination (usually preceded by "the" or "The")
Of or akin to; related; like
"The ancient texts describe humanity as brethren, emphasizing that we are all fundamentally related and share a common nature."