pal

1 of 2

noun

: a close friend
palship noun

pal

2 of 2

verb

palled; palling

intransitive verb

: to be or become pals : associate as pals
they've palled around for years

Examples of pal in a Sentence

Noun We've been pals since we were kids. Come on—be a pal and lend me the money.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Fifteen pals showed up with flowers and good cheer to bring comfort to a young woman who lost her mother to a brain tumor. Fox News, 11 Mar. 2024 Johnny Depp is as excited as anyone about his longtime pal Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar win for Oppenheimer — but in celebrating the occasion, the actor’s photo selection wasn’t quite savvy. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 Kravitz recently graced the cover of PEOPLE in February, and Momoa, who caught up with PEOPLE to talk about his new ad for Guinness, couldn’t have been more effusive about his pal. Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Though Kelce has not yet been photographed in the country, some Swifties have noticed that his pals have been posting on social media from Singapore, where Swift has two shows left at National Stadium on Friday and Saturday nights. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2024 Take Phil Ruffin, a Las Vegas real estate tycoon and a longtime pal of Trump’s. John Hyatt, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Old pals Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson — the first two movie star incognito in baseball caps — chatted with LACMA director and CEO Michael Govan in front of one booth, while bigwig agents-slash-collectors from Endeavor, CAA and UTA were out in force, some swarming together in packs. Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 Gavin Newsom's 'sausage-making' means 'making deals for his donor pals'. Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 Strings and winds pop up here and there, including guest appearances from pals old (Lil Yachty, a close friend since middle school) and new (Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, who became a fan and friend when Webster opened for his band on a 2021 tour). Steve Hochman, SPIN, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pal.' 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

Noun

Romani phral, phal brother, friend, from Sanskrit bhrātṛ brother; akin to Old English brōthor brother

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pal was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near pal

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

pal

1 of 2 noun
: a close friend

pal

2 of 2 verb
palled; palling
: to be or become pals

Legal Definition

PAL

abbreviation
passive activity loss

More from Merriam-Webster on pal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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