# What does ‘blood is thicker than water’ mean?

To “blood is thicker than water” means to family ties outweigh other loyalties. Brewer's records the proverb in traditional English form; the popular claim that the original was longer and meant the opposite is not supported by earlier evidence.

## What it means

- Brewer's records the proverb in traditional English form; the popular claim that the original was longer and meant the opposite is not supported by earlier evidence.

## Action steps

1. Common in family talk about loyalty.
2. Example: He took his brother in — blood is thicker than water.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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