comrade

noun

com·​rade ˈkäm-ˌrad How to pronounce comrade (audio)
-rəd,
 especially British  -ˌrād
1
a
: an intimate friend or associate : companion
" … reflecting upon all my comrades that were drowned … "Daniel Defoe
b
: a fellow soldier
comrades in battle
2
[from its use as a form of address by communists] : communist
comradeliness noun
comradely adjective
comradeship noun

Did you know?

In Latin, camara or camera denoted a vaulted ceiling or roof. Later, the word simply mean “room, chamber” and was inherited by many European languages with that meaning. In the Spanish, the word became cámara, and a derivative of that was camarada “a group of soldiers quartered in a room” and hence “fellow soldier, companion.” That Spanish word was borrowed into French as camarade and then into Elizabethan English as both camerade and comerade.

Examples of comrade in a Sentence

He enjoys spending time with his old army comrades. the boy, and two others who are known to be his comrades, are wanted for questioning by the police
Recent Examples on the Web But what saddens him the most is the death of his comrades. Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2024 City life already appears to have left a mark on Taliban soldier Abdul Mobin Mansor, 19, and his comrades. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024 But mostly Wayne was a great friend, a beautiful comrade, and an older brother who helped me to forgive myself for making mistakes, take chances with my music, and never be afraid to help those in need. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 5 Feb. 2024 The close but quiet cooperation with the PA security forces and Israel is well known nor do Fatah officials forget their comrades hurled from Gazan rooftops in 2007 by Hamas. TIME, 20 Feb. 2024 Smith says Canales’ hiring gives the Panthers a strong leader to guide quarterback Bryce Young and his comrades into battle. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2024 Though not initially awarded a Purple Heart, Roman was convinced by his military comrades and wife to advocate for the medal. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2024 Four years after Neil Peart died following a battle with an aggressive brain cancer, his Rush comrade Geddy Lee recalled the audacity of how several drummers responded to the news of the Professor’s passing: as a career opportunity where their services could possibly be rendered. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2024 In the late 1940s, Mr. Sadler and Mayne, his former Detachment L comrade, joined an Antarctic expedition that set up a research base on a glacier (which has since melted) on Stonington Island. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comrade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French camarade group sleeping in one room, roommate, companion, from Old Spanish camarada, from cámara room, from Late Latin camera, camara — more at chamber

First Known Use

1544, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of comrade was in 1544

Dictionary Entries Near comrade

Cite this Entry

“Comrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comrade. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

comrade

noun
com·​rade ˈkäm-ˌrad How to pronounce comrade (audio)
-rəd
: a close friend or associate
comradely adjective
comradeship noun

More from Merriam-Webster on comrade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!