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colleaguea person with whom one works, especially in a profession or business

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a person with whom one works, especially in a profession or business

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkɑːliːɡ/

Example Sentences

  • My colleague always steals my lunch from the office fridge, but I still consider him a friend.
  • She introduced me to her new colleague who joined the marketing team.
  • My colleagues and I decided to surprise our boss by actually finishing a project on time.

colleague

NOUN

[/ˈkɑːliːɡ/]

a person with whom one works, especially in a profession or business

The colleagues worked together to finish the project on time.
💡 Concept

The colleagues worked together to finish the project on time.

The colleagues celebrated after winning the company sports event. (CO + LEAGUE → people on the same team or in the same league)
🧠 Mnemonic

The colleagues celebrated after winning the company sports event. (CO + LEAGUE → people on the same team or in the same league)

The colleagues cooperated on the project and came to appreciate one another.
🎵 Rhyme

The colleagues cooperated on the project and came to appreciate one another.

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈkɑːliːɡ/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈkɒliːɡ/

🌳Etymology

Prefixcol--
Rootleague

Origin

The word derives from 16th-century French 'collegue', ultimately from Latin 'collega', meaning 'a person chosen together'. Originally used in ecclesiastical and academic contexts to denote clergy and professors working in the same institution, the term gradually broadened to encompass coworkers across all professional fields.

Breakdown

col- (together, from Latin 'com-') + -league (from Latin 'legare', to choose or appoint). The root 'legare' gave rise to the concept of someone appointed alongside another.

🎵Rhyme

leaguefatigueintrigue
league
fatigue
intrigue

🔗Collocations

close colleague
work with colleagues
respected colleague
former colleague
colleague relationship
team colleague
colleague support

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My colleague always steals my lunch from the office fridge, but I still consider him a friend.

She introduced me to her new colleague who joined the marketing team.

😄 Fun example

My colleagues and I decided to surprise our boss by actually finishing a project on time.

I rely on my colleagues for advice when facing difficult decisions.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

coworkerassociatepartnerteammatepeer

Antonyms

competitorrivalopponent

Related

workplaceofficeteamcollaborationprofessional

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