compatriot
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of compatriot
From the Late Latin word compatriōta, dating back to 1605–15. See com-, patriot
Explanation
A compatriot is a person from the same country as you. Don't confuse it with patriot, which means someone with notable love for his country. The word compatriot is often used to suggest an automatic sense of friendship. All compatriots are assumed to be chummy with each other — though, in fact, there's nothing in the dictionary definition to suggest this. Compatriots may — and often do — loathe each other, as countless civil wars have demonstrated.
Vocabulary lists containing compatriot
Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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Outliers
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Fidel Castro (1926-2016) Memorial List
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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.
Or might his compatriot Viktor Gyokeres be a candidate?
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
A tearful Marta Kostyuk dedicated her French Open quarter-final against compatriot Elina Svitolina to Ukraine after she made history to reach the last four in Paris.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
The Spanish teenager, playing in his second Grand Slam, dropped just five games across the final three sets as he fought back from two sets down to beat compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Coaching a young compatriot away from the public glare like Andy Murray, perhaps.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
He looked a great deal as his compatriot must have looked when he saw the promised land.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
