colleague
KO-leeg
Colleague (noun) means a person one works with, especially in the same profession or organization. Example: “I asked a colleague from the accounts office to check my figures.”
noun
1
A person one works with, especially in the same profession or organization.
"I asked a colleague from the accounts office to check my figures."
"She discussed the project with a colleague over lunch."
"His colleagues threw him a small party before he retired."
How to use colleague
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA workmate or fellow professional.
Common mistake
Not the same as "college" — a colleague is a person, a college is an institution.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- colleagues
- Third person singular
- colleagues
- Past tense
- colleagued
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
I asked a _____ from the accounts office to check my figures.
Etymology
From Latin collega, "a partner in office", from com- ("with") and legare ("to send on a mission").
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for colleague
See all rhymes for colleague →Frequently asked questions
What does “colleague” mean?
The word “colleague” means a person one works with, especially in the same profession or organization. In plain terms, a workmate or fellow professional.
How do you pronounce “colleague”?
“Colleague” is pronounced KO-leeg (/ˈkɑliɡ/ in IPA).
How do you use “colleague” in a sentence?
Here is “colleague” used in a sentence: “She discussed the project with a colleague over lunch.”
What part of speech is “colleague”?
“Colleague” is a noun.
Where does the word “colleague” come from?
The word “colleague” comes from Latin. From Latin collega, "a partner in office", from com- ("with") and legare ("to send on a mission").
Is “colleague” a common word?
“Colleague” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between a colleague and a coworker?
A coworker is anyone employed at the same workplace as you. Colleague is slightly more formal and often implies working in the same profession or at a similar level, so two lawyers at different firms can still call each other colleagues.
Can someone at a different company be your colleague?
Yes. Because colleague covers people in the same profession as well as the same organization, professionals routinely describe peers at other companies, universities, or hospitals as colleagues. Coworker, by contrast, normally means someone at your own workplace.
How do you spell colleague correctly?
The standard spelling is c-o-l-l-e-a-g-u-e, with a double L and the ending -eague. Common misspellings include "collegue" and "colleage."
Is colleague a formal word?
Colleague is neutral to slightly formal and is safe in business emails, references, and speeches, as in "my colleagues and I." Coworker and workmate are more casual alternatives, with workmate heard mainly in British English.
