friendship

noun

friend·​ship ˈfren(d)-ˌship 

1

: the state of being friends

they have a long-standing friendship

2

: the quality or state of being friendly : friendliness

the friendship shown him by his coworkers

3

obsolete : aid

Synonyms

• generosity
• brotherhood
• amity
• cordiality
• goodwill
• friendliness
• neighborliness
• kindness
• good-fellowship
• benevolence
• fellowship
• kindliness
• community
• companionship

Examples of friendship in a Sentence

a friendship between two countries

They have enjoyed many years of friendship.

He was encouraged by the friendship his coworkers showed him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Timothy Simons portrays Noah’s eccentric older brother, Sasha, who’s married to Esther Roklov (Jackie Tohn) and forms an unlikely friendship with Morgan. —Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

Tuesday marked the publication of Nobody’s Girl, Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, which might have turned the spotlight back onto the president’s long friendship with Epstein. —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025

That friendship, which came from years of mutual respect, helped calm the nerves when things got tough. —Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Brown and O’Neill rose in the ranks over their 20-year friendship, both becoming editor-in-chief at prestigious publications — Brown at InStyle and O’Neill at WSJ Magazine. —Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see friend entry 1

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing friendship

• betray someone's friendship

Kids Definition

friendship

noun

friend·​ship ˈfren(d)-ˌship 

: the state of being friends