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colleague
[ kol-eeg ]
noun
- an associate.
colleague
/ ˈkɒliːɡ /
noun
- a fellow worker or member of a staff, department, profession, etc
Other Words From
- col·league·ship noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of colleague1
Word History and Origins
Origin of colleague1
Compare Meanings
How does colleague compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
So, to track changes in ocean temperature, Wu and colleagues identified “repeaters” — earthquakes that the team determined to originate from the same location, but occurring at different times.
Meanwhile, Oracle, which has long dominated the warehouse space, is expected to move more slowly in its transformation, per my colleague Aaron Pressman.
Sultan notes that she and her colleagues found that people who had GI symptoms also took more time to seek care.
The director, a member of a five-person committee that regularly interacts with DHS over election security matters, told her colleagues that there is a point of contact within the agency — and it’s not Quinn.
Those execs are also working with colleagues in the agency network’s talent and insight teams in order to ensure the developments have an impact on the business, not just the workplace.
A colleague overheard two conservative Mass. lawmakers talking about what “the gays” could do.
To Hitchcock, this is not a sweet wire from an old colleague but a condolence letter on the occasion of his own death.
“You got the wrong number for that,” Det. Johnson told her colleague, Coleman, over the phone while I fed her questions.
Maria Tomak says a colleague presented the document directly to Poroshenko when he met with volunteers on August 21.
As the wrangling continued, Lloyd and Postol grew to rely on their new colleague, Susli.
To endeavour to establish a case of conspiracy against him, another individual was produced as his colleague.
He enlarges upon the kind consent of his distinguished colleague to take charge of my case.
His colleague looks abashed, like a schoolboy caught in a naughty act.
Theobald could not find an excuse to outstay his colleague, since they were both guests at the same house.
By his side sat his colleague, wearing a United States soldiers' blue overcoat.
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More About Colleague
What does colleague mean?
A colleague is someone you work with or someone who’s in the same profession as you, especially a peer within that profession.
Colleague can be a synonym for coworker, which is someone who has the same employer as you. But it also used to refer to people who have different employers but who work in the same or a very similar profession, especially when they regularly interact or share knowledge. For example, two medical researchers who work for different universities but who collaborate to publish research findings would be called colleagues.
Example: Sarah has received an outpouring of support from her fellow attorneys at the firm as well as many of her colleagues in the legal community.
Where does colleague come from?
The first records of the word colleague in English come from the 1500s. Colleague comes from the French collègue, which derives from the Latin collēga, meaning “one selected at the same time as another.” This is formed from col–, which is a variant of com-, meaning “together,” and lēgĕre, meaning “to choose.”
Colleague is commonly used as synonym for coworker, as in Please be considerate of your colleagues when using the office kitchen. But the two words can have different tones. Coworker is typically used in a neutral way simply to indicate that you work with someone. But if you like your coworkers, you might introduce them to someone as your colleagues, which can indicate a sense of friendliness and respect.
Colleague doesn’t always refer to a coworker. It can also be used to refer to someone who works in the same professional field. In this sense, a colleague doesn’t necessarily do the same exact job as you, but they do work in the same field and are most likely a peer who you at least occasionally interact with, as in I enjoy meeting some of my fellow colleagues at the industry conference each year.
Another synonym for colleague is associate. Both words imply that the relationship is based on a shared professional setting or regular professional interaction.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to colleague?
- colleagueship (noun)
What are some synonyms for colleague?
What are some words that share a root or word element with colleague?
What are some words that often get used in discussing colleague?
How is colleague used in real life?
Colleague is always used in a professional context and usually implies respect. It can be used to refer to someone one works closely with, someone in a similar field of work or study, or someone whose day-to-day work is comparable to one’s own.
Our #CHuFT awards are now open!!! Remember to tell your colleagues how much they mean to you by nominating them today @CHFTNHS @ChftThecupboard
— Executive Director of Workforce & OD, CHT (@sue_hrd) March 5, 2020
It takes years to become a great writer, designer, engineer, manager (you name it)
But it only takes days to become reliable, trustworthy, approachable, and kind.
The latter will put you above most of your colleagues.
— 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐀𝐌✌🏼 (@MaryZai) February 28, 2020
Received a lovely compliment today via the hospital PALS service from a patient. It makes such a difference to feel valued. 😊 How could you make your colleagues feel valued?
— ali crewesmith (@alicrewe) February 28, 2020
Try using colleague!
Which of the following words is not a synonym for colleague?
A. coworker
B. neighbor
C. associate
D. professional peer
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