colleague

[kol-eeg]

noun

1. an associate.

colleague

/ ˈkɒliːɡ /

noun

1. a fellow worker or member of a staff, department, profession, etc

Other Word Forms

• colleagueship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of colleague¹

First recorded in 1515–25; from Middle French collegue, from Latin collēga, equivalent to col- “with, together” ( col- ¹ ) + -lēga, derivative of legere “to choose, gather”

Word History and Origins

Origin of colleague¹

C16: from French collègue, from Latin collēga one selected at the same time as another, from com- together + lēgāre to choose

Example Sentences

Safe and fed, he is now able to reflect on his time working in increasingly dire conditions as Israel's offensive destroyed medical and other critical infrastructure - and how he feels about leaving colleagues behind.

From BBC

Grinning to see his old colleague had made the effort to return to meet him, Mourinho asked "where are my favourite biscuits?"

From BBC

"We have ideas and the drive to make a difference. We just need support to show our potential," she says as she and her colleagues head outside the factory for their lunch break.

From BBC

A JLR spokesperson said: "Today we are informing colleagues, retailers and suppliers that some sections of our manufacturing operations will resume in the coming days."

From BBC

One US study found that obese men with a bachelor's degree earn 5% less than their thinner colleagues, while those with a graduate degree earn 14% less.

From BBC

Related Words

• aide 
• ally 
• assistant 
• buddy 
• co-worker 
• companion 
• comrade 
• friend 
• partner 
• teammate 

When To Use

What does colleague mean?

A colleague is someone you work with or someone who’s in the same profession as you, especially a peer within that profession.Colleague can be a synonym for coworker, which is someone who has the same employer as you. But it also used to refer to people who have different employers but who work in the same or a very similar profession, especially when they regularly interact or share knowledge. For example, two medical researchers who work for different universities but who collaborate to publish research findings would be called colleagues.Example: Sarah has received an outpouring of support from her fellow attorneys at the firm as well as many of her colleagues in the legal community.