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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)

partners, present (3rd person singular) partnered, past participle, past partnering present participle
  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

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of partner

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

Explanation

If you open a lemonade stand with your brother, then your brother is your business partner. Partner means "to pair up." At a square dance, the call "partner up!" means it's time to find someone to dance with. In business, there are often multiple partners — each one owns a share of the business, and has a share of the risk. Some people call their spouse or the person they're in a long-term relationship with their partner — it has more egalitarian senses than "husband" or "wife," and signals commitment even if you're not married.

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Vocabulary lists containing partner

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.

In the years before founding Beacon, Ganenthiran was a partner at D1 Capital Partners and, before that, president of Instacart.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Exports to China, Germany's biggest trading partner overall, slid by 3.5 percent, while shipments to fellow European Union countries were up one percent.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

"She was the leader of our community, and I wonder if somewhere that was also part of the reason her partner ended up hating her so much," says Milne.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Williams has won 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals in doubles, all with sister Venus Williams as her playing partner.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

“Are you always going to say the word partner like it tastes bad?”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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