fellow

noun

fel·​low ˈfe-(ˌ)lō 

often attributive

1

: comrade, associate

was eager to rejoin his fellows

2

a

: an equal in rank, power, or character : peer

discussions among a group of fellows from the nearby Los Alamos National Laboratory

—Roger Lewin

b

: one of a pair : mate

3

: a member of a group having common characteristics

specifically : a member of an incorporated literary or scientific society

a fellow of the American College of Surgeons

4

a

obsolete : a person of one of the lower social classes

b

archaic : a worthless man or boy

c

: man, boy

He seems like a fine fellow.

d

: boyfriend, beau

She and her fellow went to the movies.

5

: an incorporated member of a college or collegiate foundation especially in a British university

6

: a person appointed to a position granting a stipend and allowing for advanced study or research

Did you know?

The Old Norse word for a partner, felagi, means literally “one who puts down property.” Such people were those who laid together their property for some common purpose. Old English borrowed felagi from Old Norse and called a partner a feolaga. This word has come down to us, through several centuries and the development of a number of senses, as modern English fellow. Perhaps its most common use today is its very general one, in which it is applied to any boy or man.

Synonyms

• boyfriend
• beau
• boy

Examples of fellow in a Sentence

fellows and girls at a party

a young fellow like you

Your son's a bright little fellow.

She's found herself a new fellow.

a fellow of the American College of Surgeons

a Fellow of the Royal Society

Recent Examples on the Web

Stolen from the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft less than a year earlier, the rookie found himself on the mound for the bottom of the ninth, just as veteran teammate and fellow ex-Yankee Adam Ottavino predicted. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025

Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow for Middle East Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, said Gulf states haven’t previously significantly participated in proceedings against Israel at international courts, and that that could change. —Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025

Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025

The resulting pollen is as pliable as Play-Doh, says Shahrudin Ibrahim, a research fellow in Cho’s lab who helped to develop the technique. —Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse fēlagi, from fēlag partnership, from fē cattle, money + lag act of laying

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fellow

• fellow feeling
• fellow man
• fellow servant
• fellow traveler
• good fellow
• hail-fellow
• hail-fellow-well-met

Rhymes for fellow

• cello
• jello
• mellow
• melo
• velo
• marshmallow
• morello
• othello
• schoolfellow
• portobello
• violoncello

Kids Definition

fellow

1 of 2 noun

fel·​low

ˈfel-ō

1

: comrade, associate

2

a

: an equal in rank, power, or character : peer

b

: one of a pair : mate

3

: a person holding any of various positions at a university

4

a

: a male person

b

: boyfriend sense 2

5

: a person granted funds for advanced study

fellow

2 of 2 adjective

: being a companion, mate, or associate

Medical Definition

fellow

noun

fel·​low

ˈfel-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w)

: a young physician who has completed training as an intern and resident and has been granted a stipend and position allowing him or her to do further study or research in a specialty