camaraderie

American  

[kah-muh-rah-duh-ree, -rad-uh-, kam-uh-] / ˌkɑ məˈrɑ də ri, -ˈræd ə-, ˌkæm ə- /

Rarely comradery

noun

1. a spirit of trust and goodwill among people closely associated in an activity or endeavor.

   Employees are being offered an opportunity to experience the camaraderie and encouragement that comes from being part of a fitness challenge team.

   Synonyms:

   brotherhood, bonhomie, conviviality

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camaraderie British  

/ ˌkæməˈrɑːdərɪ /

noun

1. a spirit of familiarity and trust existing between friends

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Etymology

Origin of camaraderie

First recorded in 1830–40; from French, equivalent to camarade comrade + -erie -ery

Explanation

Camaraderie is a spirit of good friendship and loyalty among members of a group. You might not like your job, but still enjoy the camaraderie of the people you work with. A high level of camaraderie among athletes on and off the field not only makes it fun to play sports, but is likely to make your team win. This noun was borrowed from French, from camarade, "comrade." It retains the French spelling and Frenchlike pronunciation kahm-uh-RAHD-uh-ree. The suffix -erie corresponds to English -ery, used with nouns to indicate a quality.

Example Sentences

We discuss how those formative years of camaraderie and work made us better men and women.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

While Craig is being held with other foreigners – an Ecuadorian, a German and a Romanian man – and feels a sense of camaraderie, Lindsay is more isolated.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

The camaraderie among the crew and the teams supporting them on the ground, she said, was a once in a lifetime privilege.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Asked what they would miss about celestial life, Koch said "camaraderie."

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Everyone groaned at the mention of the double block of studying, and I smiled, enjoying the camaraderie.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• companionship
• intimacy
• togetherness