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partner

American  
[pahrt-ner] / ˈpɑrt nər /

noun

  1. a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate.

    Synonyms:
    accomplice, accessory, colleague

  2. Law.

    1. a person associated with another or others as a principal or a contributor of capital in a business or a joint venture, usually sharing its risks and profits.

    2. special partner.

  3. silent partner.

  4. a spouse; a husband or a wife.

  5. the person with whom one cohabits in a romantic relationship.

    I'd like you to meet my partner, Sarah.

  6. either of two people who dance together.

    my favorite partner in the waltz.

  7. a player on the same side or team as another.

    My tennis partner was an excellent player.

  8. Nautical. partners, a framework of timber round a hole in a ship's deck, to support a mast, capstan, pump, etc.

verb (used with object)

  1. to associate as a partner or partners with.

  2. to serve as the partner of.

partner British  
/ ˈpɑːtnə /

noun

  1. an ally or companion

    a partner in crime

  2. a member of a partnership

  3. one of a pair of dancers or players on the same side in a game

    my bridge partner

  4. either member of a couple in a relationship

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to be or cause to be a partner (of)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonpartner noun
  • partnerless adjective
  • underpartner noun

Etymology

Origin of partner

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English partener, alteration of parcener by association with part

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.

Apple gets a new partner with a sprawling consumer base that is eager to grow the card.

From The Wall Street Journal

"NATO is only now in the process of developing more concrete plans on this, and these will then be discussed jointly with our US partners."

From Barron's

Banks, card issuers, and even partners like airlines were affected.

From Barron's

She recalls a CEO client who had not taken a holiday in five years, but was finally able to have a family holiday once he found a co-CEO partner.

From BBC

China is Iran's largest trading partners, followed by Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and India.

From BBC

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.