friendship

noun

friend·​ship ˈfren(d)-ˌship How to pronounce friendship (audio)
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

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 Mark Mellman, president of the Democratic Majority for Israel, a U.S. organization that works to maintain and strengthen support for the U.S.-Israel alliance, said the friendship between the two countries was borne out of the United States' effort to secure allies during the Cold War. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 24 Nov. 2023 The growing friendship between the bookish student and the jock endeared viewers, but Aiken and Studdard also came from similar backgrounds, growing up in the South and singing in church. Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023 New York City — Professional dancer Laura Kaufman forged a friendship for the ages at a dance class at New York City's iconic Steps on Broadway dance studio. Janet Shamlian, CBS News, 23 Nov. 2023 Though Kelce had plans to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, the two didn’t actually connect after the show. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 In 2012 the pair struck up an email friendship when Saveri emailed for advice on how to format pleadings. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023 But the exact circumstances of how their paths first crossed, other than the Chiefs star shooting his shot via a friendship bracelet, have largely remained a mystery — until now. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023 Similar in age and background, friendship between Nelson and the Carters came easily. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023 At the time, Porter told ESSENCE about her reasons for leaving the relationship and also the strength of their friendship. Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'friendship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see friend entry 1

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of friendship was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near friendship

Cite this Entry

“Friendship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friendship. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

friendship

noun
friend·​ship ˈfren(d)-ˌship How to pronounce friendship (audio)
: the state of being friends

More from Merriam-Webster on friendship

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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