comrade

American  

[kom-rad, -ruhd] / ˈkɒm ræd, -rəd /

noun

1. a person who shares in one's activities, occupation, etc.; companion, associate, or friend.

   Synonyms:

   mate, fellow, crony

2. a fellow member of a fraternal group, political party, etc.

3. a member of the Communist Party or someone with strongly leftist views.

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comrade British  

/ -rɪd, ˈkɒmreɪd /

noun

1. an associate or companion

2. a fellow member of a political party, esp a fellow Communist or socialist

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Other Word Forms

• comradely adjective
• comradeship noun

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; camera ¹ ) + -ada, from Latin -āta, feminine of -ātus past participle suffix ( -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.

Example Sentences

She made Will Ruger, Mr. Caldwell’s ideological comrade, a deputy director.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

He was legendary for his weapons skills, a former comrade once told AFP, but had little power.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Zhang's father was a revolutionary comrade of Xi's father.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

Army, my leadership drilled a lot of different ideas into my head, from never leaving my post to “keeping my head on a swivel” to never leaving a fallen comrade behind.

From Slate • Dec. 3, 2025

But one day, Mac Maharaj told a comrade who was studying economics to request The Economist.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• buddy
• co-worker
• colleague
• companion
• compatriot
• confidant
• crony