fellowship

1 of 2

noun

fel·​low·​ship ˈfe-lə-ˌship 

-lō-

1

: companionship, company

looking for the fellowship of friendly people

2

a

: community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience

their fellowship in crime

—A. J. Ayer

b

: the state of being a fellow or associate

3

: a company of equals or friends : association

a youth fellowship

4

: the quality or state of being comradely

meaningful communication for building trust and fellowship

5

obsolete : membership, partnership

6

a

: the position of a fellow (as of a university)

applied for a research fellowship in physics

b

: the stipend of a fellow

c

: a foundation for the providing of such a stipend

fellowship

2 of 2

verb

fellowshipped also fellowshiped ˈfe-lə-ˌshipt 

-lō-

; fellowshipping also fellowshiping ˈfe-lə-ˌshi-piŋ 

-lō-

intransitive verb

: to join in fellowship especially with a church member

transitive verb

: to admit to fellowship (as in a church)

Synonyms

Noun

• communion
• friendship
• solidarity
• rapport

Examples of fellowship in a Sentence

Noun

traditions that bind us together in fellowship

members of a law firm who violated just about every ethical principle that the legal fellowship holds dear

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

If Helmy finds in the Party the kind of fellowship and outlet for his energies that a good career might otherwise have satisfied, Erich embraces his new identity with a snarling brutality that is a repudiation of his former sense of humiliation. —Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025

The La Grange resident spent 10 months in the civic leadership development fellowship. —Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025

Verb

Faculty and staff at both schools may lecture at each other's campuses and engage with students, and both institutions will explore additional opportunities for partnership,which could include summer research fellowships. —Danny Shameer, Arkansas Online, 19 Aug. 2025

Like in the sciences, the funding cuts are eliminating research experiences and supportive programming for undergraduates, fellowships for graduate students and positions for postdoctoral researchers. —Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English felaweschipe, going back to Old English fēolagscipe, from fēolaga fellow + -scipe -ship

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing fellowship

• traveling fellowship

Rhymes for fellowship

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fingertip
• internship

Kids Definition

fellowship

noun

fel·​low·​ship

ˈfel-ō-ˌship

1

: a friendly relationship among people

2

: a sharing of interest or feeling

3

: a group with similar interests

4

a

: the position of a fellow (as of a university)

b

: the funds granted a fellow