noun
partner
PAHT-nuh
noun
1
A spouse or other person with whom someone shares a romantic or domestic relationship.
"She introduced her partner to the rest of the family."
"They've been business partners for over a decade, but also life partners."
2
A person who shares ownership or responsibility in a business, firm, or activity.
"He made partner at the law firm after eight years."
"The two partners split the company's profits evenly."
3
Someone paired with another for a game, dance, or task.
"Find a partner and practise the new dance steps."
"My tennis partner was late for the doubles match."
verb
1
To join with someone as a partner, or pair someone with another for an activity.
"The startup partnered with a larger company to expand overseas."
"Students were partnered up for the science project."
How to Use Partner
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone you team up with — in a relationship, a business, or an activity.
Common mistake
"Partner" now commonly replaces "boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse" in neutral, modern usage, regardless of gender or marital status.
Common pairings
business partner
life partner
partner with someone
silent partner
Word Forms
partnered past tense, partners plural, partners singular
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Etymology
From Middle English partener, altered (under the influence of "part") from an earlier form parcener, ultimately traced back to Latin partitio, "a dividing into parts."