sisterhood

noun

Etymology: From Middle English susterhede; equivalent to sister + -hood (with a modification in the suffix).

1. The state, or kinship of being sisters.
2. The quality of being sisterly; sisterly companionship; especially, the sense that women have of being in solidarity with one another.
3. A religious society of women.

   “In contrast, she said, women join sisterhoods and do volunteer work for Jewish fundraising organizations that are run and dominated by men.”

4. The idea of universal experience amongst women, regardless of other traits or factors. (Considered obsolete in third-wave feminism.)

   “What does the rallying cry of sisterhood and the concept of feminism mean when last year, the majority of white, female voters chose whiteness as a political identity over womanhood?”

   “In a terrible way, I’ve never felt more part of a sisterhood or more certain that pain is shared within that family.”