compatriot
Americannoun
-
compatriots
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of compatriot
From the Late Latin word compatriōta, dating back to 1605–15. See com-, patriot
Explanation
A compatriot is a person from the same country as you. Don't confuse it with patriot, which means someone with notable love for his country. The word compatriot is often used to suggest an automatic sense of friendship. All compatriots are assumed to be chummy with each other — though, in fact, there's nothing in the dictionary definition to suggest this. Compatriots may — and often do — loathe each other, as countless civil wars have demonstrated.
Vocabulary lists containing compatriot
Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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Outliers
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Fidel Castro (1926-2016) Memorial List
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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:
However, his compatriot SH Kim, 28, missed out on a military exemption as South Korea could only win silver in the team event, alongside Tom Kim and Mun Do-yeob, who has already completed his service.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
China's world number 85 Wang Xiyu fought back to stun the top seed 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and will play compatriot Zhang Shuai for the title.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Woad's compatriot and potential partner Charley Hull believes it can be tougher playing at home.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Francis Ford Coppola decamped there to write his script for “The Godfather,” and it’s where his compatriot George Lucas conjured up the “Star Wars” universe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
He looked a great deal as his compatriot must have looked when he saw the promised land.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
"The overwhelming majority of Taiwanese compatriots do not want war; they wish to live their lives in peace and hope for peaceful cross-strait exchanges," Han said at the National Day event.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
Shelton, meanwhile, surged past Tsitsipas in less than two hours to join his compatriots in the last eight.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Robert Ladd as to the gang ties of Davis and his compatriots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
The five Britons will join compatriots Arthur Fery, Cameron Norrie, Jan Choinski and Boulter in the main draws.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
For the briefest second, she saw a flash of panic in his former compatriots.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
