One thing to keep in mind is that even though the word sorority was around after 1882 (or 1874 or whenever
), not all women's greek social organizations are sororities. Alpha Omicron Pi was founded in 1897 as a fraternity. The official name is Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity--though sometimes, to keep from adding to confusion, we are referred to as a sorority. I'm sure there are other groups out there that were founded after 1882 that carry the name Fraternity rather than Sorority. It is a rather interesting discussion about who was the first 'sorority.' Who's to say the word wasn't used prior to 1874 but no organization is still around that can verify this.
Sarah
AOII-Beta Gamma