Student Resources

Glossary of Greek Terms

Active: fully-initiated member of a fraternity or sorority

Alumnus (plural: alumni/alumnae): member of a fraternity or sorority who has graduated

Brother: term used by initiated members in a fraternity when referring to each other

Sister: term used by initiated members in a sorority when referring to each other

Fraternity/Sorority: group of individuals bound together by common goals, values, and traditions

Greek: member of a fraternity or sorority

Independent: person who is not a member of a fraternity or sorority

Initiation: traditional ritual which brings a potential member into full membership in the organization

Inter-Greek Senate: a body of elected executive officers and representatives from each Greek-letter organization that governs the Greek organizations at Pacific University

Local Greek Organization: a fraternity or sorority that does not belong to a national Greek organization

Recruitment: the activity by which fraternities and sororities seek new members

Guest: a person interested in becoming a member of a fraternity or sorority

Greek Alphabet