fellow traveler

noun

1. a person who supports or sympathizes with a political party, especially the Communist Party, but is not an enrolled member.
2. anyone who, although not a member, supports or sympathizes with some organization, movement, or the like.

fellow traveler

1. One who supports the aims or philosophies of a political group without joining it. A “fellow traveler” is usually one who sympathizes with communist doctrines but is not a member of the Communist party . The term was used disparagingly in the 1950s to describe people accused of being communists.

Other Words From

• fel·low-trav·el·ing [fel-oh-trav-, uh, -ling, -, trav, -ling], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fellow traveler¹

1605–15, for literal sense

Example Sentences

Heard only by Fran and us readers, Austen offers wry comments on the lifestyles, decisions and hypocrisies of not just her fellow travelers, but the 21st century itself.

From Washington Post

Like many of my fellow travelers, what drew me to the worlds of theoretical physics was also seeded in my earliest existential doubts, and the struggle to come to terms with the answers the people around me seemed to content themselves with.

From Nautilus

Look around you and you’ll see it in the wary eyes of your fellow travelers.

From Outside Online

We lift the bulky suitcases of our fellow travelers into the overhead bins, strike up conversations around knitting projects and sports jerseys.

From Washington Post

From 1856—the year they were first noticed—until the present day, Neanderthals have consistently been framed in opposition to us, not as fellow travelers along evolution’s swift and mighty cataract.

From Time

She went on to tweet 64 times on the subject of her nightmare fellow traveler.

From The Daily Beast

Exit the fellow traveler, looking for a movie far from the madding goons at Winterland.

From The Daily Beast

Down in the white-supremacy cesspool of Stormfront.org, some contributors thought they recognized a fellow traveler.

From The Daily Beast

Keep pumping in money while appointing some fellow-traveler bloggers to run GM?

From The Daily Beast

His fellow-traveler likewise stood with folded hands, and gazed upon the forest, and the towns that lay in the bright sunshine.

From Project Gutenberg

He capered along on the high-road, as he returned to the inn where his fellow-traveler was waiting his return.

From Project Gutenberg

But the fellow-traveler made himself invisible; and as he flew behind the princess, he thrashed her with his rod till she bled.

From Project Gutenberg

But nobody could see the fellow-traveler, who had placed himself right behind the throne, where he could see and hear everything.

From Project Gutenberg

The fellow-traveler was likewise much rejoiced on hearing how matters had turned out.

From Project Gutenberg