comrade
Americannoun
-
an associate or companion
-
a fellow member of a political party, esp a fellow Communist or socialist
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of comrade
First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French camarade, from Spanish camarada “group of soldiers billeted together,” equivalent to cámar(a) “room” (from Latin; see camera 1) + -ada, from Latin -āta, feminine of -ātus past participle suffix ( see -ate 1)
Explanation
Your close friend or associate is your comrade. Teenagers often prefer seeing movies with a comrade or two, rather than with their parents. Comrade sometimes refers to a fellow soldier, and it is found in the phrase "comrade-in-arms." Movies about World War II comrades-in-arms often show them risking their lives to rescue each other. Comrade is also the form of address for members of the Communist party. If Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin ran into other at a party, Stalin would say, "Hello, Comrade Lenin!" The root is the Latin camera, or vaulted room, and originally comrade meant someone who shares a room.
Vocabulary lists containing comrade
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Across the table was another comrade, youthful office assistant Brooklyn Crawford.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
At one point, Vizirenko’s comrade, Welder, told his wife to close her eyes and point to somewhere on a map of Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Zhang's father was a revolutionary comrade of Xi's father.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
If someone gets buried, others in the group can use their receivers to help find the buried comrade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2026
He is my greatest friend and comrade for nearly fifty years.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Stupnikov’s decision to turn against his own comrades came after years of deepening disillusionment with the Russian military.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
At the funeral service on Wednesday, patriotic songs blaring, the city's deputy mayor Nguyen Manh Cuong said authorities "will not overlook any opportunity or method to continue the journey of searching for the fallen comrades".
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Under the leadership of Hall and national Chairman Henry Winston, the party raised capital funds from comrades, which were then invested.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
“We’re all comrades in this. I feel so good to be here and help however I can. Many of us don’t have that luxury.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
They landed safely, but their comrades who came to meet them on the ground were anxious.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
