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Get Friendly With the Definition of Compadre
In Spanish, a child’s father and godfather are, to each other, “compadres”—that is, “co-fathers”—but in English the word refers simply to a close friend. Like amigo, Spanish compadre is a masculine term; the equivalent feminine term is comadre. The earliest known evidence of compadre in English use comes from an 1834 book by Albert Pike, in which both compadre and comadre appear. Comadre makes occasional appearances in English contexts, but it has yet to become established sufficiently in the language to join its compadre in our dictionaries.
Examples of compadre in a Sentence
Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Spending two-plus hours of quality time with a randy demon and his dead compadres turns out to be fun.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 4 Mar. 2026
In 2018, one of his musical compadres — musician, producer, and studio owner Richard Swift — died of complications from hepatitis as a result of his own excesses, just as the two were about to start a Rateliff solo album.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2025
Pro tip: gaps and gumlines, compadres, that's where all the action's at.
—New Atlas, 16 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Compadre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compadre. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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compadre
noun
