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

Henry, in tweed suits and suitably nebbishy glasses, feels more like a company man than his two colleagues.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2025

That's because Milchick is a company man fluent in Lumon Industries’ distinct cultural jargon.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2025

He's described as a "company man - an institutional champion who's privately embraced the draconian tactics of an antiquated and often vicious institution".

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2023

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

I didn’t think he’d help us, since he was a company man, like my father.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam