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comrade

noun
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com·​rade | \ ˈkäm-ˌrad How to pronounce comrade (audio) , -rəd, especially British -ˌrād \

Definition of comrade

1a : an intimate friend or associate : companion " … reflecting upon all my comrades that were drowned … "— Daniel Defoe
b : a fellow soldier comrades in battle
2 [from its use as a form of address by communists] : communist
Other Words from comrade Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about comrade

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Other Words from comrade

comradeliness \ ˈkäm-​ˌrad-​lē-​nəs How to pronounce comradeliness (audio) \ noun
comradely adjective
comradeship \ ˈkäm-​ˌrad-​ˌship How to pronounce comradeship (audio) \ noun

Did You Know?

In Latin, camara or camera denoted a vaulted ceiling or roof. Later, the word simply mean “room, chamber” and was inherited by many European languages with that meaning. In the Spanish, the word became cámara, and a derivative of that was camarada “a group of soldiers quartered in a room” and hence “fellow soldier, companion.” That Spanish word was borrowed into French as camarade and then into Elizabethan English as both camerade and comerade.

Examples of comrade in a Sentence

He enjoys spending time with his old army comrades. the boy, and two others who are known to be his comrades, are wanted for questioning by the police
Recent Examples on the Web Gautreaux left Lincoln Hospital on Monday to the cheers and salutes of his fellow NYPD comrades. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, "Cop shooting suspect charged with attempted murder," 10 Feb. 2020 While Bruno will leave behind a legacy, his fellow K-9 comrades, Justin and Diesel, will follow in his pawsteps by detecting narcotics and explosives in Oro Valley, just outside Tuscon. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "A police K-9 who helped seize nearly $1 million in narcotics retires in a heartwarming video," 8 Feb. 2020 Bruce Voorhees stood in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, put his fingers on the names of two fallen Marine comrades and wept. — Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, "Maxed-out Vietnam vet catches a break in Rohnert Park trailer home," 22 Dec. 2019 Some hoplites got too far ahead and so lost the protection provided by their comrades. — National Geographic, "At the Battle of Marathon, Athens' underdog victory stunned Persia," 6 Feb. 2020 Following a bloody two-hour battle on November 1, 1917, Corporal Givens stood alone after his comrades had fallen. — Kelly Kazek | Kkazek@al.com, al, "How an Alabama teen became America’s first WWI hero," 6 Feb. 2020 Error 0: Lola and her Grimes County comrades endured days of heavy rain with minimal access to food and water, as they were found a day after Tropical Storm Imelda dropped upwards of 50 inches of rain across southeast Texas. — Rebecca Hennes, Houston Chronicle, "Meet Lola, the Houston dog saved from an alleged dogfighting ring that has a new lease on life," 5 Feb. 2020 Kline, recognizing the futility of the situation, quickly abandoned his comrades and retreated. — James Delle, Smithsonian Magazine, "In 1851, a Maryland Farmer Tried to Kidnap Free Blacks in Pennsylvania. He Wasn’t Expecting the Neighborhood to Fight Back," 17 Jan. 2020 Corporal Blake remarks on the trees with just enough detail and flourish to get a mild rebuke from his comrade. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "1917 film review: War has never been captured so incredibly," 10 Jan. 2020

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

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First Known Use of comrade

1544, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for comrade

Middle French camarade group sleeping in one room, roommate, companion, from Old Spanish camarada, from cámara room, from Late Latin camera, camara — more at chamber

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Time Traveler for comrade

Time Traveler

The first known use of comrade was in 1544

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Last Updated

26 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Comrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comrade. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for comrade

comrade

noun
How to pronounce comrade (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of comrade

: a close friend you have worked with, been in the military with, etc.
—used as a title for a member of a communist party

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

comrade

noun
com·​rade | \ ˈkäm-ˌrad How to pronounce comrade (audio) , -rəd \

Kids Definition of comrade

: companion sense 1

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More from Merriam-Webster on comrade

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for comrade

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with comrade

Spanish Central: Translation of comrade

Nglish: Translation of comrade for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of comrade for Arabic Speakers

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