compatriot

noun

com·​pa·​tri·​ot kəm-ˈpā-trē-ət How to pronounce compatriot (audio)
käm-,
-trē-ˌät,
 chiefly British  -ˈpa-
1
: a person born, residing, or holding citizenship in the same country as another
We watched our compatriots compete in the Olympics.
2
: companion, colleague
her compatriots in academia
theater compatriots
compatriotic
kəm-ˌpā-trē-ˈä-tik How to pronounce compatriot (audio)
ˌkäm-
 chiefly British  -ˌpa-
adjective

Examples of compatriot in a Sentence

We watched our compatriots compete in the Olympics. the famous actor and his theater compatriots
Recent Examples on the Web But, faced with an unexpected low tide, the Marines were forced to abandon their ships offshore and wade toward the island — where they were gunned down by waiting Japanese snipers, leaving a jumble of floating bodies for their compatriots to navigate. Natasha Frost Maud Bodoukian Meyrant, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 While the better part of us hopes Montserrat and her compatriots will refuse, there is simply no resisting the dark spells cast by Moreno-Garcia’s characters — nor those so expertly cast over readers by the author herself. Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2023 Grossman had been a peace activist for much of his adult life, speaking at demonstrations and publishing essays, alternately fierce and soulful, that were intended to pierce the indifference of his compatriots. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023 But support for foreign terrorist organizations is already screened for in people seeking entrance into the U.S., so the new language utilized by Rubio and his compatriots achieves no policy gains but instead provokes fear and whips people into a frenzy at a time of historic tension and divisions. Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic, 18 Oct. 2023 But his compatriot got across, landing in a field of thistles north of Kiryat Shemona in Israel, Time reported. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2023 Khan strives to appeal to his compatriots and families with his body of work. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023 A lot of your friends, family and compatriots from the film have died. Erin Osmon, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 Brothers in Arms His basement mission is dwarfed by huge operations in Tel Aviv that have sprung up overnight, fueled by a steady stream of volunteers seeking to do anything to serve their compatriots. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

French compatriote, from Late Latin compatriota, from Latin com- + Late Latin patriota fellow countryman — more at patriot

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of compatriot was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near compatriot

Cite this Entry

“Compatriot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compatriot. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

compatriot

noun
com·​pa·​tri·​ot kəm-ˈpā-trē-ət How to pronounce compatriot (audio)
käm-,
-trē-ˌät
: a person from one's own country : countryman

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