collegial
Americanadjective
-
of or characterized by the collective responsibility shared by each of a group of colleagues, with minimal supervision from above.
adjective
-
of or relating to a college
-
having authority or power shared among a number of people associated as colleagues
Other Word Forms
- collegiality noun
- collegially adverb
- subcollegial adjective
Etymology
Origin of collegial
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word collēgiālis. See college, -al 1
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.
I am interested in a collegial environment where people respect each other enough that they can actually argue with each other.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Members of opposing parties in student government typically were collegial with one another, socializing together despite disagreements.
From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025
"The notion is to make it collegial, if you will. And the Israelis will obviously be in constant touch with them," the first official said.
From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025
“Cuauhtémoc is collegial, he’s humble and he’s kind. Frankly, because it’s not the norm, it makes him stand out.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025
But the AEC’s dream of thermonuclear research blooming via a collegial relationship between Los Alamos and Livermore proved chimerical.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
