Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

companionship

noun
Save Word
com·​pan·​ion·​ship | \ kəm-ˈpan-yən-ˌship How to pronounce companionship (audio) \

Definition of companionship

: the fellowship existing among companions : company
Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about companionship

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of companionship in a Sentence

the widow's pet cats provided her with her only companionship
Recent Examples on the Web Try to seek the safest subject you can (weather, movies, sports) or excuse yourself and seek less contentious companionship elsewhere. — Author: Donna Cameron, Anchorage Daily News, "How to survive Thanksgiving when your family is divided over politics," 27 Nov. 2019 Try to seek the safest subject you can (weather, movies, sports) or excuse yourself and seek less contentious companionship elsewhere. — Author: Donna Cameron, Anchorage Daily News, "How to survive Thanksgiving when your family is divided over politics," 27 Nov. 2019 Try to seek the safest subject you can (weather, movies, sports) or excuse yourself and seek less contentious companionship elsewhere. — Author: Donna Cameron, Anchorage Daily News, "How to survive Thanksgiving when your family is divided over politics," 27 Nov. 2019 Try to seek the safest subject you can (weather, movies, sports) or excuse yourself and seek less contentious companionship elsewhere. — Donna Cameron, Washington Post, "Have different politics than your family? Here’s how to survive Thanksgiving.," 25 Nov. 2019 Both have survived their spouses and are looking for companionship. — Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Good Liar': Film Review," 7 Nov. 2019 Those who have already found their mate should be thankful for the companionship. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Nov. 1, 2019: Leo, being single has its perks; Sagittarius, shed expectations," 1 Nov. 2019 For real-life affinity, Ulysses seeks companionship on the pier by Manhattan’s Christopher Street, where he is enlisted into Saturday Church, a program for at-risk L.G.B.T.Q. youth. — Glenn Kenny, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Saturday Church,’ Coming of Age, and Coming Out," 11 Jan. 2018 If Cacioppo’s theory is correct, then there must be an intrinsic biological mechanism that compels isolated animals to seek out companionship. — Quanta Magazine, "New Evidence for the Necessity of Loneliness," 10 May 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'companionship.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of companionship

1548, in the meaning defined above

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about companionship

Time Traveler for companionship

Time Traveler

The first known use of companionship was in 1548

See more words from the same year

Statistics for companionship

Last Updated

10 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Companionship.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/companionship. Accessed 10 December 2019.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for companionship

companionship

noun
How to pronounce companionship (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of companionship

: the good feeling that comes from being with someone else

See the full definition for companionship in the English Language Learners Dictionary

companionship

noun
com·​pan·​ion·​ship | \ kəm-ˈpan-yən-ˌship How to pronounce companionship (audio) \

Kids Definition of companionship

: fellowship sense 1, company

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on companionship

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for companionship

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with companionship

Spanish Central: Translation of companionship

Nglish: Translation of companionship for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of companionship for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about companionship

Comments on companionship

What made you want to look up companionship? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

reiterate

Listen to the pronounciation of reiterate

to state or do over again or repeatedly

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Semantic Drift Quiz

  • a twisty river
  • Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Syn City

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games