fellow

noun, often attributive fel·low \ ˈfe-(ˌ)lō \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Examples: fellow in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of fellow

1 : comrade, associate

was eager to rejoin his fellows

2 a : an equal in rank, power, or character : peer

discussions among a group of fellows from the nearby Los Alamos National Laboratory
—Roger Lewin

b : one of a pair : mate

3 : a member of a group having common characteristics; specifically : a member of an incorporated literary or scientific society

a fellow of the American College of Surgeons

4 a obsolete : a person of one of the lower social classes

b archaic : a worthless man or boy

c : man, boy

He seems like a fine fellow.

d : boyfriend, beau

She and her fellow went to the movies.

5 : an incorporated member of a college or collegiate foundation especially in a British university

6 : a person appointed to a position granting a stipend and allowing for advanced study or research

See fellow defined for English-language learners

See fellow defined for kids

Examples of fellow in a Sentence

fellows and girls at a party
a young fellow like you
Your son's a bright little fellow.
She's found herself a new fellow.
a fellow of the American College of Surgeons
a Fellow of the Royal Society

Recent Examples of fellow from the Web

The spectacle of the president taking policy advice in the Oval Office from Kim Kardashian, a fellow star of reality TV, might convince Democrats that the demise of Western civilisation feared by Governor Brown is already here.

— The Economist, "What’s left?To win back power, Democrats must do things that make them uncomfortable," 14 July 2018
Anderson was tempted to join West Ham by his fellow South American Manuel Pellegrini, who has wasted no time in building a new and exciting squad at the London Stadium.

— SI.com, "West Ham Apply for Work Permit Ahead of Completing Club Record Transfer of Brazilian Star," 11 July 2018
Clarkson's fellow The Voice judge Blake Shelton will also make an appearance along with another country super star: Keith Urban.

— jennifer aldrich, Country Living, "Here's How to Watch Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks," 3 July 2018
Raz, a professor at Princeton University and the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Tal, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, define a specific kind of computational problem.

— kevin hartnett, WIRED, "Finally, a Problem Only Quantum Computers Will Ever Be Able to Solve," 24 June 2018
Ashley Andreou is working toward a master’s in public health at the Yale School of Public Health and is a research and advocacy fellow at Yale Law School.

— ashley andreou, STAT, "New Gardasil ad campaign gets it (mostly) right. It shouldn’t have taken a decade," 18 June 2018
But consumers can make small daily changes to bring that number down, said Rebecca Boehm, a postdoctoral fellow at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut and lead author of the study.

— caitlin dewey, chicagotribune.com, "The U.S. diet is a climate disaster. Here are 4 fixes that don't involve becoming a vegan.," 11 June 2018
Bernanke, who stepped down from the U.S. central bank in 2014, is a distinguished fellow in residence at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

— Fortune, "'Wile E. Coyote Is Going to Go Off the Cliff:' Former Fed Chair Bernanke Is Not Optimistic About the U.S. Economy," 8 June 2018
But in many ways Guilbe, a product of Berks Catholic High School in Reading, has outperformed his fellow Keystone State prepster this spring.

— jeff sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Day 3 draft tracker: Padres start with college catcher, HS second baseman," 6 June 2018

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

Did You Know?

The Old Norse word for a partner, felagi, means literally “one who puts down property.” Such people were those who laid together their property for some common purpose. Old English borrowed felagi from Old Norse and called a partner a feolaga. This word has come down to us, through several centuries and the development of a number of senses, as modern English fellow. Perhaps its most common use today is its very general one, in which it is applied to any boy or man.

Origin and Etymology of fellow

Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse fēlagi, from fēlag partnership, from fē cattle, money + lag act of laying

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

fellow Synonyms

Synonyms

associate, cohort, companion, compatriot, comrade, crony, hobnobber, mate, running mate;

accomplice, affiliate, ally, collaborator, confederate, half, partner;

buddy, chum, confidant, familiar, friend, hearty, intimate, pal;

countryman;

classmate, housemate, messmate, playfellow, playmate, roommate (also roomie), schoolmate, shipmate, teammate;

attendant, escort;

hanger-on, leech, parasite;

FELLOW Defined for English Language Learners

fellow

noun

Definition of fellow for English Language Learners

: a male person : a boy or man
: a male companion of a girl or woman
: a member of a group of people who have shared interests, activities, etc.

FELLOW Defined for Kids

fellow

noun fel·low \ ˈfe-lō \

Definition of fellow for Students

1 : a male person

2 : companion 1, comrade

fellow

adjective

Definition of fellow for Students

: belonging to the same group or class

my fellow Americans

Medical Dictionary

fellow

noun fel·low \ ˈfel-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w) \

medical Definition of fellow

: a young physician who has completed training as an intern and resident and has been granted a stipend and position allowing him or her to do further study or research in a specialty