companionship
Americannoun
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association as companion; fellowship.
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Printing. a group of compositors working under a foreman.
noun
Usage
What does companionship mean? Companionship is the state of spending time with someone or having someone to spend time with—the state of having a companion or being someone’s companion. A companion is a person who frequently spends time with you, associates with you, or accompanies you when you go places. Companionship is similar to friendship, and a person one calls a companion is usually their friend or romantic partner. But the word companionship specifically implies that a lot of time is spent in each other’s company. The word commonly applies to relationships between people, but pets can also provide companionship. Example: People make fun of older people for using dating sites, but the truth is that a lot of them are just lonely and looking for companionship.
Etymology
Origin of companionship
First recorded in 1540–50; companion 1 + -ship
Explanation
Companionship is when you feel a sense of closeness being with another person. Your grandmother's companionship with her best friend might keep her feeling young and happy. You probably experience companionship with your best friend or romantic partner, or maybe even with your siblings. A feeling of fellowship or togetherness is companionship — it's one of the reasons people get married or seek out like-minded friends. The word comes from companion, from the Old French compagnon, "fellow, mate, or friend," rooted in the Late Latin companionem, or "bread fellow," combining com, "with," and panis, "bread."
Vocabulary lists containing companionship
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ship
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Kareem Between
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-ship
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Companionship helps the time pass during lulls in the spectacle overhead, and it’s fun when everyone sees the same bit of cosmic fluff streaking across the sky.
From Scientific American • Aug. 11, 2023
Companionship is often found in long-term care facilities.
From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2021
Kaws: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness opened on Thursday at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne: the largest retrospective of Kaws’ 25-year career to date.
From The Guardian • Sep. 19, 2019
The lover seeks the Garden of Love, where he meets such clashing figures as Mirth, Companionship, Pride, and Shame.
From Slate • May 3, 2016
And in the End of Speech, we found Companionship at last.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
