teammate

Word family

• team
  nounA1
• teamwork
  nounB1
• team up
  phrasal verbB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Teammate, colleague, partner, and coworker all refer to people you work or cooperate with, but the contexts differ. Teammate is most common in sports and competitive or collaborative team contexts — for example, a soccer teammate or a project teammate. Colleague typically refers to a person in the same profession or workplace, with an emphasis on shared rank rather than active teamwork. Partner implies a closer, often equal relationship in a specific enterprise, such as a business partner or a dance partner. Coworker is limited to a shared workplace and does not imply shared goals or active cooperation. You would call someone you play on a football team with your teammate, but the person at the desk next to yours is your coworker or colleague, not your teammate.

Common collocations

Etymology

Teammate is a compound word formed from 'team' and 'mate.' 'Team' comes from Old English 'tēam,' meaning 'a group of animals pulling a plow,' which later broadened to any group working together. 'Mate' comes from Middle Low German 'gemate,' meaning 'one who shares a meal at the same table.' The combination 'teammate' appeared in the late 19th century as organized sports grew in popularity, referring to a fellow member of a sports team.