Obs. Forms: 6–8 -frary, 7 -frery, 8 -frairy. [a. OF. confrairie, confrarie (13th c. in Littré) = Pr. confrairia, Cat. confraria, med.L. confrātria, a Romanic deriv. of confrāter, F. confrère: see CONFRERE.] A company of brethren of a guild, religious society, etc.; a brotherhood, fraternity.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. clxxii. [clxviii.] 514. No man myght entre into that confrary or company.
1596. Danett, trans. Comines, 305. The Companies of occupations, commonly called Confrairies.
1605. Verstegan, Dec. Intell. (1634), 224. The gilds or confreries. Ibid., viii. (1628), 258. There were of old time … certaine companies or confraries of men called Gildes.
1766. Smollett, Trav., 242. The confrairies are fraternities of devotees who enlist them selves under the banners of some particular Saints.
