partnership

American  

[pahrt-ner-ship] / ˈpɑrt nərˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the state or condition of being a partner; participation; association; joint interest.

2. Law.

   1. the relation subsisting between partners.

   2. the contract creating this relation.

   3. an association of persons joined as partners in business.

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partnership British  

/ ˈpɑːtnəʃɪp /

noun

1. 1. 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

   2. the deed creating such a relationship

   3. the persons associated in such a relationship

2. the state or condition of being a partner

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partnership Cultural  

1. An association of two or more persons to conduct a business. In contrast to a corporation, those who engage in a partnership are liable for debts incurred by the company to the full extent of their private fortunes rather than merely to the extent of their investment.

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Other Word Forms

• prepartnership
  noun

Etymology

Origin of partnership

First recorded in 1570–80; partner + -ship

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.

Example Sentences

The partnership addresses AI’s high power demand, using ‘behind-the-meter’ systems to reduce grid dependence for data centers.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Prince William was also in attendance to highlight the efforts to tackle homelessness in the area, and saw the progress of 24 new homes being built in Nansledan in partnership with homeless charity St Petrocs.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Customers can now get groceries delivered to their Airbnb through a partnership with Instacart and have a driver meet them at the airport with Airbnb’s Welcome Pickups.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

For example, in March, Amazon announced an expanded partnership between Nvidia and AWS, which included the deployment of over 1 million Nvidia graphic processing units across AWS Regions starting in 2026.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Madison’s message signaled the resumption of what can be considered the most successful political partnership in American history.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• assistance
• association
• business
• company
• cooperation
• cooperative
• corporation
• firm
• friendship
• interest
• organization
• ownership
• sharing
• society
• tie up
• union