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 of friendship

• 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

The result is a strange, bewitching experiment in autobiography, in which there are no friendships or love affairs, just exquisite digressions on life-changing texts. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026

The two were often spotted at events together, but as Perry’s star rose and Perez’s blogging tactics were called out as toxic amid a shift away from tabloid culture, their friendship seemed to fizzle out. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Under the new rules, K-12 schools are also explicitly banned from deploying AI applications designed to meet students’ social or emotional needs, which includes technology that is meant to simulate friendship with the user. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Students return to classrooms and campuses ready for new courses, new experiences and new friendships. — Kimberly Osborne, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

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