classmate
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of classmate
Explanation
Your classmate is someone who goes to school with you. It's hard to believe when you first start college that some of your classmates will become your very best friends. Your school friends are your classmates, and so are the fellow students you barely know at all. In a small class, you get to know most of your classmates fairly well, while in a large lecture even your teacher might not know all your classmates' names. The word dates from the 18th century, a combination of class, from the Latin classis, "class or division," and mate, "fellow or comrade."
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.
See Examples For:
In March 2026, the classmate filed a civil lawsuit naming Griffin, ghostwriter Sam Lansky and the book’s publisher, alleging invasion of privacy, negligence and infliction of emotional distress.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
But David's classmate, the American artist RB Kitaj, told him to ignore everyone else and simply paint things he loved.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Rivera was at Espacio 1839 on Friday accompanying his son, Marc Rivera, one of the youngest exhibitors, alongside his classmate Miguel Yanez.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Though safe from the camera bullies, Patel’s classmate didn’t eat in front of anyone again until this school year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
“I understand it might feel that way sometimes, but in the future, we really need for you to say something if a classmate is bothering you. Don’t try to handle it all yourself, okay?”
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
Disadvantaged pupils were, on average, 19 months behind their classmates from better-off backgrounds by the time they got to Key Stage 4, the report said.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
She signed up for an electrical engineering course, only to find her classmates were almost entirely men.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
William Nieporte ran the firm Bramshill Investments with two high-school classmates for about a decade before they fired him in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
The teen behind the lawsuit told The Times he remembers one of his classmates getting sick after drinking from the same jug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Slowly, I turn and find that the rest of my classmates are standing much farther back than they were before.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
