collaborator

American  

[kuh-lab-uh-rey-ter] / kəˈlæb əˌreɪ tər /

noun

1. a person who works or cooperates with another on something; a coauthor, coproducer, etc..

   She is currently at work on a new recording project with longtime collaborator Greg Timson.

2. a person who cooperates with an enemy nation or force, especially with an enemy occupying one’s country.

   Her book gives a detailed account of postwar Poland’s legal retribution against its Nazi collaborators.

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Etymology

Origin of collaborator

First recorded in 1800–10; from French collaborateur, equivalent to Late Latin collabōrāt(us) (past participle of collabōrāre ) + -or ² ( def. ); collaborate ( def. )

Example Sentences

It was sometime in 2019 when Goldhaber and his frequent collaborator Isa Mazzei first worked up a pitch after being approached by executives at Legendary Entertainment about the project.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Behind the camera, Jacobs’ friend and occasional creative collaborator, Sofia Coppola, asks whether they’re favoring a serious look, or something more eccentric — in line with Jacobs’ reputation.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Although the panel belongs within the tradition of depicting female beauty, it shares its pose and frank gaze with another striking portrait, of Baldassarre Castiglione, Raphael’s friend and collaborator.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

The Warner Bros film -- starring Coogler's steady collaborator, Michael B. Jordan, as twins in 1930s Mississippi -- became a box office smash, raking in nearly $370 million worldwide.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Now, however, with Jefferson gone over to the other side and their former friendship reduced to polite and nervously evasive exchanges, Abigail became his chief and, in most respects, his sole collaborator.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• assistant
• associate
• co-worker
• colleague