pal

1 of 2

noun

: a close friend
palship noun

pal

2 of 2

verb

palled; palling

intransitive verb

: to be or become pals : associate as pals
they've palled around for years

Examples of pal in a Sentence

Noun We've been pals since we were kids. Come on—be a pal and lend me the money.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Farley included some of their milestone moments as pals and moms, with a photo of them pregnant at the same time and a selfie with their kids. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023 This real-world Care Bear Stare was in full effect all night as those not participating in the entertainment portion of the evening were standing belly up to the stage cheering on their pals. Staff Author, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023 Naturally, Sankey called up his two pals Gajewski and Barschow. Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023 David Schwimmer is the latest Friends castmember to pay tribute to Matthew Perry, taking to Instagram on Wednesday morning to share a look back at his time with his late colleague and pal. Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023 His devotion to struggling defensive coordinator and old pal Jerry Azzinaro cost the Bruins dearly during his first three seasons. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023 So, Tara Bannow and I partnered with our pals at Tradeoffs to dig into these unexpected bills, and a federal committee’s plan to end them. Bob Herman Reprints, STAT, 13 Nov. 2023 This is also a two-seater so that kids can ride with their best pal as co-captain. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 8 Nov. 2023 See our top picks below, and shop the rest of UO’s offerings — including gift for every type of pal — at urbanoutfitters.com. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pal.' 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

Noun

Romani phral, phal brother, friend, from Sanskrit bhrātṛ brother; akin to Old English brōthor brother

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pal was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near pal

Cite this Entry

“Pal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pal. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

pal

1 of 2 noun
: a close friend

pal

2 of 2 verb
palled; palling
: to be or become pals

Legal Definition

PAL

abbreviation
passive activity loss

More from Merriam-Webster on pal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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