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Synonyms

classmate

American  
[klas-meyt, klahs-] / ˈklæsˌmeɪt, ˈklɑs- /

noun

  1. a member of the same class at a school or college.

classmate British  
/ ˈklɑːsˌmeɪt /

noun

  1. a friend or contemporary of the same class in a school, college, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of classmate

An Americanism dating back to 1705–15; class + mate 1

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."

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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.

It led to her classmate, Olly, playing along with her and convincing his mum to let him go to the same after-school club taught by Laura.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Marko Dobrasinovic, 24, who made the trek from Chicago to audition, bumped into an old high school classmate, Alyssa Frey, while in line to check in.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

The show follows three childhood friends whose very different lives converge at a wake for a former classmate in rural Ireland.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Sure enough, Adkins and his classmate were paired with a 99.7% compatibility score.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

During college, I’d made a trip to the Bahamas with my Bahamian classmate David, and another to Jamaica with Suzanne.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.