comrade
/ˈkɒmreɪd
/noun
1(Among men) a colleague or a fellow member of an organization: an old college comrade...
- The characters are old college comrades who have been there for each other through everything - or so they thought.
- Since those heady days, the trade union has seen a sharp decline in popularity and membership as well as bitter divisions among former friends and comrades.
- The AGM commenced with a minute's silence as a mark of respect to former members, family members and comrades who had passed away during the previous year.
Synonyms
companion, friend;
colleague, associate, partner, co-worker, fellow worker, workmate;
fellow soldier;
compatriot, confederate, ally;
French confrère
informal pal, buddy, crony
British informal mate, chum, oppo
North American informal bro
archaic compeer
rare consociate
1.1 (also comrade-in-arms) A fellow soldier or member of the armed forces: Hewett turned and rushed to help his comrade...
- It is but a matter of time before many more of our fellow Army Reserve comrades-in-arms will be called to replace and augment those who have already answered the call.
- Tattoos in the civil wars symbolized allegiance to military commanders and comrades-in-arms rather than to the local community.
- The soldier and his comrades-in-arms moved deeper into enemy territory, encapsulated in their tank.
1.2A fellow socialist or communist (often as a form of address): ‘You’re right, comrade’ [as title]: Comrade Petrova...
- Long before the revolution, he knew what he would do with those of his socialist comrades who opposed him.
- A very important privilege, comrades, has been taken away from you.
- So, ignore the demands of the tax collectors and steel yourselves against the pleas of the children for new shoes, comrades.
1.3(In South Africa) a young militant supporter of the African National Congress.I believe our party, ANC, can grow if we take hands and work together, comrades.
Derivatives
comradely
/ adjective ...- The alternative to this is not the cosy, comradely little agora of the ancient Athenians but streets filled with thousands shouting in favour of contradictory wishes and guided by neither agreed ethics nor law.
- Judy and Bubbles battle and evolve, through their rivalry, into a respectful and comradely self-awareness that bypasses and undercuts their earlier competition over men.
- One night, as the actors were dismantling the set for this watery spectacular, sharing comradely jokes as they went, someone observed that the get-out would make a great show in itself.
Origin
Mid 16th century (originally also camerade): from French camerade, camarade (originally feminine), from Spanish camarada 'room-mate', from Latin camera 'chamber'. Compare with chum1.
If a companion is, literally, someone you share bread with, then a comrade is someone you share a room with. The origin of the word is Spanish camarada ‘a room-mate’, from Latin camera ‘a room’. Your comrade was originally someone who shared the same room or tent as you, often a fellow soldier. See also camera, chum