camaraderie
kam-uh-RAH-duh-ree
/ˌkæm.əˈrɑː.dər.i/
Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
Implies a warm, organic spirit of friendship born out of shared experiences, hardships, or common goals.
The story behind the word. Camaraderie is borrowed from French, which developed it from 'camarade'. This traces back to the Spanish 'camarada', meaning 'chamber-mate' or 'roommate' (from Latin 'camera', meaning room). It is the natural friendship that grows when people share close quarters and live together.
Word relationships
- fellowship: Fellowship has a slightly more formal or religious connotation, while camaraderie is warm, casual, and secular.
- companionship: Companionship focuses on the state of having a companion to avoid loneliness, while camaraderie emphasizes mutual trust and group spirit.
- animosity: Active hostility or ill will, which destroys any chance of camaraderie.
- estrangement: The state of being alienated or distanced from others.
Commonly confused with
- comradeship: Comradeship is highly similar but often carries a political, military, or socialist tone, whereas camaraderie is universally applicable to any friendly group.
Word family
- comrade (noun): A companion who shares one's activities or is a fellow member of an organization.
Collocations
- spirit of camaraderie
- foster camaraderie
- easy camaraderie
Example sentences
- "The long hours spent working on the project fostered a deep sense of camaraderie among the team members." Workplace environment
- "There was a camaraderie born of shared danger that no civilian could fully understand." Military history book
Memory hook
Think of 'camera'—when you take a group photo with your close friends, you capture the 'camaraderie'. Camaraderie is shared in the chamber.
When not to use
Do not use for a brand-new acquaintance or a purely formal business partnership where no personal warmth exists.
Fun facts
- The spelling of 'camaraderie' is one of the most frequently misspelled in the English language, often mistakenly written as 'comradery' due to the influence of the word 'comrade'.
Related words
Explore more words
solidarity, rapport, intimacy, colleague, commiserate, cohesion
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