companionship
Americannoun
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association as companion; fellowship.
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Printing. a group of compositors working under a foreman.
noun
Usage
What does companionship mean? 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. A companion is a person who frequently spends time with you, associates with you, or accompanies you when you go places. Companionship is similar to friendship, and a person one calls a companion is usually their friend or romantic partner. But the word companionship specifically implies that a lot of time is spent in each other’s company. The word commonly applies to relationships between people, but pets can also provide companionship. 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 companionship.
Etymology
Origin of companionship
First recorded in 1540–50; companion 1 + -ship
Explanation
Companionship is when you feel a sense of closeness being with another person. Your grandmother's companionship with her best friend might keep her feeling young and happy. You probably experience companionship with your best friend or romantic partner, or maybe even with your siblings. A feeling of fellowship or togetherness is companionship — it's one of the reasons people get married or seek out like-minded friends. The word comes from companion, from the Old French compagnon, "fellow, mate, or friend," rooted in the Late Latin companionem, or "bread fellow," combining com, "with," and panis, "bread."
Vocabulary lists containing companionship
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ship
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Kareem Between
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-ship
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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.
It is that fandom, companionship, self-expression, and immersive experiences are becoming more formalized parts of the consumption story.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
Writing in a local cafe is not only cheaper—the price of a café au lait—but also offers the illusion of companionship without any of its intrusions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
"And isn't that amazing? 15,000 years ago, we see that level of companionship that we still see today. That's a really long relationship."
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
But they’re also using them as a form of companionship, sometimes spilling their mental health struggles to the AI-powered products.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Once I realized that the women on my own team were not going to be my friends, I sought companionship elsewhere when I was on the road.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
