companionate

adjective

com·​pan·​ion·​ate kəm-ˈpan-yə-nət How to pronounce companionate (audio)
: relating to or having the manner of companions
specifically : harmoniously or suitably accompanying

Examples of companionate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That lovingness matches, in a weird way, the tone of Death’s monologues, which, despite a constant Catskills-esque patter of dark jokes about the daily vagaries and indignities of his work, often sound like a companionate essay by Jacobs-Jenkins. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023 These examples make a case for animals having emotional attachments, not unlike companionate love in humans. Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 18 Nov. 2021 That’s because companionate love (for a long-term partner), romantic love and lust are orchestrated by three different brain systems, which operate in tandem. Dina Cheney, Good Housekeeping, 2 Nov. 2020 Yet the weight of transcendent meaning and mysticism which gets transferred from divinity to companionate marriage here (as everywhere else in our world) seems a cruelly heavy burden upon intimate life. Mark Greif, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'companionate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of companionate was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near companionate

Cite this Entry

“Companionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/companionate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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