companion

¹ American  

[kuhm-pan-yuhn] / kəmˈpæn yən /

noun

1. a person who is frequently in the company of, associates with, or accompanies another.

   my son and his two companions.

   Synonyms:

   mate, partner, comrade, associate

2. a person employed to accompany, assist, or live with another in the capacity of a helpful friend.

3. a mate or match for something.

   White wine is the usual companion of fish.

4. a handbook or guide.

   a bird watcher's companion.

5. a member of the lowest rank in an order of knighthood or of a grade in an order.

6. Also called companion star, comes.  Astronomy. the fainter of the two stars that constitute a double star.

7. Obsolete. a fellow.

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verb (used with object)

1. to be a companion to; accompany.

companion ² American  

[kuhm-pan-yuhn] / kəmˈpæn yən /

noun

Nautical.

1. a covering over the top of a companionway.

2. a companionway.

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companion ¹ British  

/ kəmˈpænjən /

noun

1. a person who is an associate of another or others; comrade

2. (esp formerly) an employee, usually a woman, who provides company for an employer, esp an elderly woman

3. 1. one of a pair; match

   2. ( as modifier )

      a companion volume

4. a guidebook or handbook

5. a member of the lowest rank of any of certain orders of knighthood

6. astronomy the fainter of the two components of a double star

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verb

1. (tr) to accompany or be a companion to

companion ² British  

/ kəmˈpænjən /

noun

1. nautical

   1. a raised frame on an upper deck with windows to give light to the deck below

   2. ( as modifier )

      a companion ladder

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Usage

What does companion mean? A companion is a person who frequently spends time with you, associates with you, or accompanies you when you go places. Pets are also commonly considered companions. The word companion implies that you spend a lot of time together. A person you call a companion can be a friend or a romantic partner. A travel companion is someone you travel with. Companionship is the state of spending time with someone or having someone to spend time with—the state of having a companion or being someone’s companion. Sometimes, a hired helper is called a companion, especially when they help to take care of an older person. Companion is sometimes also used to refer to a thing that accompanies or complements something else, such as in the phrase companion piece, which often refers to an artistic work that pairs well with another work. More specifically, a companion refers to a handbook, guidebook, or field guide (the word is especially used in the titles of such books). In astronomy, companion is used in a more specific way to refer to a companion star—the less bright star in a set of stars called a double star. (The brighter star is called the primary.)Example: People make fun of older people for using dating sites, but the truth is that a lot of them are just lonely and looking for a companion.

Related Words

See acquaintance.

Other Word Forms

• companionless
  adjective
• uncompanioned
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of companion¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English compainoun, from Anglo-French; Old French compaignon, from Late Latin compāniōn- (stem of compāniō ) “messmate,” equivalent to com- “with, together” + pān(is) “bread” + -iōn- noun suffix; presumably as translation of a Germanic word; compare Gothic gahlaiba, Old High German galeipo; see com-, -ion

Origin of companion²

First recorded in 1730–40; alteration of Dutch kampanje “quarterdeck,” possibly from Italian compagna “pantry (of a ship)”

Explanation

A companion is one who serves as a friend or partner in something. Whether it’s travel or dinner or card-playing, your companion is the one who does it with you. The word companion is a close, um, companion to the word company, and you might as well say that someone you keep company with is your companion. Sometimes, it describes a piece of art or other work that goes with another. For instance, you might read a biography of Emily Dickenson as a companion to her studying her poems. The things go together and complement each other.

Example Sentences

The Oxford Companion to Art, an old owl distilled in its praise, calls the English artist Thomas Gainsborough “an independent and original genius.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

In Zoom, it’s part of the button that brings up the AI Companion, a notetaker.

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2025

Zoom also launched its Custom AI Companion add-on, which offers even more advanced AI features and costs $12 per user, per month.

From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025

The Companion Animal Parasite Council believes its numbers are an undercount, estimating they are only capturing 30% of the parasite activity in a given geographic region.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2025

Few would risk crossing the Atlantic without a copy of Appleton’s Railroad and Steamboat Companion.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• accomplice
• aide
• ally
• assistant
• associate
• buddy
• co-worker
• colleague
• comrade
• cousin
• crony
• guide
• mate
• nurse
• partner
• playmate
• protector