company man

American  

noun

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

---

company man British  

noun

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of company man

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

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

Pelé was the company man, Maradona was the outsider, their differences magnified by their petty long-standing quarrel over who was the better player.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2022

Dad, a company man through and through, had no choice but to comply with Mr. Van Dyke’s orders.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam