partnership
Americannoun
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partnerships
plural
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the state or condition of being a partner; participation; association; joint interest.
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Law.
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the relation subsisting between partners.
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the contract creating this relation.
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an association of persons joined as partners in business.
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noun
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a contractual relationship between two or more persons carrying on a joint business venture with a view to profit, each incurring liability for losses and the right to share in the profits
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the deed creating such a relationship
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the persons associated in such a relationship
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the state or condition of being a partner
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of partnership
Explanation
What do Lewis and Clark, Bonnie and Clyde, and Ben and Jerry have in common? They all formed partnerships — cooperative relationships where they worked as a team to reach a goal, whether it was robbing banks or inventing Cherry Garcia. It’s easy to spot partner hidden inside partnership. That should clue you in to the fact the word is all about the deal sealed between two or more people, groups, or even countries that agree to throw their lot in together to achieve something both want. A partnership can be a legal business relationship sealed by a contract or a casual handshake-driven agreement between friends. A marriage is a partnership. So is a corporate merger.
Vocabulary lists containing partnership
Economics
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 12–18, 2020
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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.
See Examples For:
And M&S this week announced a new partnership with Sephora, saying it would replace a hundred of its own beauty departments with the brand next year.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“The partnership with Spotify has been an amazing fit, and they’re incredible to work with,” Rogan said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
On Thursday, the two leaders will formally ratify the 2025 Kensington Treaty, a partnership committing both countries to tackle hostile activity through deeper cooperation on science, technology, defence, security and growth.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Wittington Investments, the Weston’s holding company, said it reached a definitive agreement to buy Boots and its associated businesses in partnership with Stefano Pessina and his family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
We got to sign off now, so is there anything else you would like to say about the end of our partnership?
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
Kai Mathey, senior vice president of partnerships at Super Age, emphasized that my score was rough and that results will become more accurate as the data set grows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
And despite his upbeat perspective, even Stubb acknowledges that Europe needs to forge new partnerships in “a world of disorder.”
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
The company then grew into branches for TV production, marketing, media and commercial partnerships, among others, all well established by the time Jorge fell seriously ill.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
If human disturbance makes it easier for new "invaders" to enter these relationships, even when those species are native, other mutualistic partnerships could also become destabilized.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
So the Goodmans entered into partnerships with growers who knew how to grow, harvest, pack, and distribute large quantities of produce.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
