colleague

noun

ˈkä-(ˌ)lēg How to pronounce colleague (audio)
Definition of colleaguenext
as in partner
a fellow worker on her first day at work her colleagues went out of their way to make her feel welcome

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of colleague But on Wednesday, the central bank chairman and his colleagues are widely expected to hold interest rates steady. — New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026 Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and former Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, both former NBC colleagues, endorsed her. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026 A little over a decade later, Kohn watched on as Warsh, his close former colleague, invoked the spirit of these hikes in his inaugural speech as central bank chairman at Jackson Hole in August. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026 Using the Gemini North telescope, Caiazzo and colleagues zoomed in on Pa 30, discovering knots along the strands of gas radiating out from the site of the cosmic explosion, like pearls on a string. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colleague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colleague
  1. partner
  2. coworker
  3. associate
  4. buddy
  5. peer
  6. fellow
Noun
  • Research partners recorded the various sounds that drones make when their propellers get chipped or cracked or their motor becomes damaged or begins to fail.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators are working with Nigeria and international partners to review genomic findings and verify her movements and interactions in Uganda and en route to Abuja.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of partner
Noun
  • So after the game, as former colleagues often do, Tremble found his ex-coworker and chatted with him.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • And their agent just automatically posted how much money was in their checking account for all of their coworkers to see.
    — Jonquilyn Hill, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of coworker
Noun
  • With the support of our Board of Trustees, Valencia has established a minimum average annual graduate earnings benchmark of $42,000 for our associate in science programs.
    — Kathleen Plinske, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Federal prosecutors say Bailey and an associate tricked people out of $2 million from 2018 to 2022.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of associate
Noun
  • The duo are coming off of Mayday, a Cold War buddy action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, which released on Apple TV in September, becoming their biggest-ever film debut.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Lamont, who made a splash last year with One of Them Days, has been tapped to direct Last Friday, the first installment of New Line’s buddy comedy movie franchise in 25 years.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of buddy
Noun
  • The ultra-wealthy may have more peers than ever before, but DiFuria and Goldbart said many of them feel cut off.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Kubiak and his peers argue that the trawlers diminish their fish stocks and also cause broader damage to the seafloor.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of peer
Noun
  • During Thursday's protest, hundreds of resident physicians and fellows demanded negotiators return to the bargaining table.
    — Payton May, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Simpson, whose daughter is in second grade, prepared extensively with her fellow-canvassers on how to discuss certain topics, such as Mamdani’s views on Israel and Palestine.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fellow

Browse Nearby Words

collations
colleague
colleagues
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Colleague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colleague. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All