fellow traveler

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noun
  1. a person who supports or sympathizes with a political party, especially the Communist Party, but is not an enrolled member.

  2. anyone who, although not a member, supports or sympathizes with some organization, movement, or the like.

Origin of fellow traveler

1
1605–15, for literal sense

Other words from fellow traveler

  • fel·low-trav·el·ing [fel-oh-trav-uh-ling, -trav-ling], /ˌfɛl oʊˌtræv ə lɪŋ, -ˈtræv lɪŋ/, adjective

Words Nearby fellow traveler

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fellow traveler in a sentence

Cultural definitions for fellow traveler

fellow traveler

One who supports the aims or philosophies of a political group without joining it. A “fellow traveler” is usually one who sympathizes with communist doctrines but is not a member of the Communist party. The term was used disparagingly in the 1950s to describe people accused of being communists.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.