Learn English – Single word for a “like brothers” relationship

nounssingle-word-requests

I'm looking for a single word that describes the younger man in this relationship:

A cop in his thirties befriends a seventeen-year-old kid he picked up on the street. He sees a younger version of himself in the boy, and the boy doesn't have a father figure in his life (he's being raised by a single mother), so the cop takes him under his wing. They develop a very tight friendship and have a relationship somewhere between father-son and siblings, though probably closer to the older-younger brother relationship.

I need something stronger than "friends," but since they're not actually brothers, I can't use that either. Similar to "protege," but with a less official connotation (and he's not training the younger one to become a cop).

Best Answer

I think you can describe the relationship as brotherly or fraternal suggesting that they are like brothers:

  • of, resembling, or suitable to a brother, esp in showing loyalty and affection; fraternal. (Collins)

Given the context described and the fraternal relationship, the younger man could be referred to as the policeman's little brother:

  • A close male friend; (AHD)
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