birds of a feather flock together
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birds of a feather flock together
Where it comes from
The expression appears to have surfaced in the 16th century, allegedly a literal translation of Plato's Republic. In 1545, William Turner wrote a version of the expression in the Rescuing of Romish Fox: "Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together." One can, however, also compare the expression to Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 27:9: "Birds resort unto their like."
proverb birds of the feather flock together
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People of similar character, background or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another; it is easier to establish friendships with people that one has a lot in common with.
So, in London, birds of a feather must flock together, willy nilly, silk hat and frock coat must go with white gloves and brown sables, peaky blinder and “choker" must associate with crop fringed hair, ear curls, and rakish three feathered hat.
Similar: like attracts like, like likes like, apple does not fall far from the tree
Opposite: opposites attract
Thesaurus
proverb
Opposite: opposites attract
Translations
Every language
proverb people of similar character, etc. tend to associate
Talk about this word "birds of a feather flock together." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. birds of a feather flock together. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together "birds of a feather flock together." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together.Cite this
@misc{birds_of_a_feather_flock_together_2026,
title = {birds of a feather flock together},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/birds%20of%20a%20feather%20flock%20together},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
