compatriot

noun

com·​pa·​tri·​ot kəm-ˈpā-trē-ət 

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 

ˌkäm-

 chiefly British  -ˌpa-

adjective

Synonyms

• countryman
• citizen
• national

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

Then 20, Korda won three matches in qualifying before winning three more, including a second-round upset of big-serving compatriot John Isner, to set up the showdown with his childhood idol. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

Unlike his more famous literary compatriots, Milan Kundera and Josef Skvorecky, Klima stuck around in Czechoslovakia, despite being forbidden from publishing for 20 years. —Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025

Iceland’s Síminn has now greenlit the series, with compatriot producer Glassriver boarding as a co-producer. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025

Hockey players aren’t known for being shy about fighting over different plays on the ice, but Wayne Gretzky and his current compatriots have learned not to come to blows. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for compatriot

• patriot

Kids Definition

compatriot

noun

com·​pa·​tri·​ot kəm-ˈpā-trē-ət 

käm-,

-trē-ˌät

: a person from one's own country : countryman