partner

American  

[pahrt-ner] / ˈpɑrt nər /

noun

partners plural

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.

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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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpartner
  noun
• underpartner
  noun
• partnerless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• partners
  plural

Participles

• partnering
  present
• partnered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• partner
  simple
• partners
  simple
• have partnered
  perfect
• has partnered
  perfect
• are partnering
  progressive
• am partnering
  progressive
• is partnering
  progressive
• have been partnering
  perfect progressive
• has been partnering
  perfect progressive

Past

• partnered
  simple
• had partnered
  perfect
• was partnering
  progressive
• were partnering
  progressive
• had been partnering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will partner
  simple
• will have partnered
  perfect
• will be partnering
  progressive
• will have been partnering
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

“The related fees can be quite substantial,” said Christine Alexis Concepción, international tax attorney and Partner at Concepción Global.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026

Sharon AI already was a certified Nvidia Cloud Partner before Friday, but the shine of a new Nvidia endorsement is often enough to boost stocks—including those much larger than Sharon AI.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

The transformation of existing businesses through AI is one of two ways Lightspeed believes the technology will make it into the broader economy, said Lightspeed Partner Bejul Somaia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

The firm, founded in 2020, raised the additional capital to bolster its net-asset-value lending and preferred equity strategies, which the firm collectively refers to as General Partner Financing Solutions, or GPFS.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Without my Partner in Crime, I’ll have to sneak into Beth’s room alone to find the last ingredient for my bath experiment.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

Related Words

• ally
• associate
• colleague
• companion
• friend
• husband
• participant
• spouse
• wife