company man

American  

noun

1. an employee whose allegiance to his employer comes before personal beliefs or loyalty to fellow workers.

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company man British  

noun

1. an employee who puts allegiance to the company for which he works above personal opinion or friendship

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company man Idioms  

1. A male worker more loyal to management than to his fellow workers; also, one who informs on fellow employees. For example, He'll never join in a strike; he's a company man. Dating from the 1920s, a period of considerable labor unrest, this term uses company in the sense of “a business concern” and was often applied as a criticism by supporters of labor unions.

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Etymology

Origin of company man

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Park says he started developing the project as an American film about 20 years ago, so he didn’t think of casting Lee as the middle-age company man at its center.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

With so much time spent clawing at his imagined future, Man-su loses sight of the company man title from his past.

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2025

Unlike Scott, Tillman worked in corporate office roles prior to becoming an actor and landing his breakthrough role as company man Milchick.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025

Sean Hannity, for his part, is the consummate company man, a necessary force of continuity in the network’s prime-time lineup.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2023

“Dubonnet’s a union rabble-rouser. I don’t want you talking to him anymore. I’m a company man, and that makes you a company boy, understand?”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam