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 The walls of Abu Hussam’s living room are lined with posters of his dead comrades, killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Longtime touring comrades Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper are headed to Pine Knob on Aug. 30, joined by Ministry and Filter for the latest leg of the Freaks on Parade tour. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 29 Jan. 2024 As a young man, Singer had viewed Communists as motivated by genuine ideals and, like many Jews, had believed that the Revolution would make comrades of antisemitic Poles and Russians. Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 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

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 28 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

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