friend

1 of 2

noun

ˈfrend 

plural friends

1

a

: one attached to another by affection or esteem

She's my best friend.

b

: acquaintance

2

a

: one that is not hostile

Is he a friend or an enemy?

b

: one that is of the same nation, party, or group

showbiz friends

3

: one that favors or promotes something (such as a charity)

this trend has alarmed friends of the liberal arts

—Raymond Walters

The friends of the library will host a fund-raiser.

4

: a favored companion

5

Friend : a member of a Christian sect that stresses Inner Light, rejects sacraments and an ordained ministry, and opposes war

called also Quaker

6

: a person included in a list of one's designated connections (see connection entry 3) on a social media service

A 2012 study found that 57 percent of couples stay Facebook friends after a breakup …

—Caitlin Dewey

friendless

ˈfren(d)-ləs 

adjective

friendlessness noun

friend

2 of 2

verb

friended; friending; friends

transitive verb

1

: to act as the friend of : befriend

2

: to include (someone) in one's list of designated friends on a social media service

I became more discerning with who I friended on social media.

—Victoria Song

For me, Facebook is about staying in touch with people I care about. … But my kids see it differently, as a more casual connection. Hence, my son, who recently turned 21, has 1,000-plus friends. He has apparently friended everyone on God's green earth except his mother.

—Bella English

Phrases

be friends with

: to have a friendship or friendly relationship with

Did you know?

What's the difference between friends and acquaintances?

People often distinguish between an acquaintance and a friend, holding that the former should be used primarily to refer to someone with whom one is not especially close. Many of the earliest uses of acquaintance were in fact in reference to a person with whom one was very close, but the word is now generally reserved for those who are known only slightly.

Acquaintance is often found paired with nodding. Although nodding acquaintance sounds like it describes a person who is known just enough to nod at, it tends to be used instead to refer to a thing or field with which one has a small amount of knowledge or familiarity (and this is the meaning that the phrase has had since its introduction to the language in the early 19th century).

Synonyms

Noun

• alter ego
• amigo
• buddy
• chum
• compadre
• comrade
• confidant
• confidante
• crony
• familiar
• intimate
• mate [chiefly British]
• musketeer
• pal

Examples of friend in a Sentence

Noun

… she … got a job, made friends and managed to write a novel that hit the best-seller lists and stayed there … —Garrison Keillor, The New York Times Book Review, 11 June 2006

Over the last couple of years I have experienced moments of disbelief when I meet my friends in public. They look older than I think they should. —Alice Munro, In the Stacks, 2002

Never had a friend like that before or since. Never laughed so hard in my life as I did with Manny. —Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997

I'd like you to meet my friend.

He's no friend of mine.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, unexpected surprises and miscommunications with a friend or a group could make things go south in a New York minute. —Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 9 Nov. 2024

His triumph in the Electoral College and the popular vote leaves democratic friends and allies of the United States wondering: Will a Trump presidency demand more burden-sharing from them, or even abandon them altogether? —Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

Verb

GrubHub gift cards give family and friends the chance to order in from their favorite restaurants. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2023

The dress also happened to be very complementary to friend Taylor Swift’s look for the evening—a cream linen dress with a pastel floral design all over it. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English frend, from Old English frēond; akin to Old High German friunt friend, Old English frēon to love, frēo free

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing friend

• a friend in need is a friend indeed
• best friend
• childhood friend
• family friend
• friend of the court
• friend with benefits
• friend zone
• just a friend
• man's best friend
• next friend
• old friend
• pen friend

Kids Definition

friend

1 of 2 noun

ˈfrend 

1

: a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another

2

: a person who is not an enemy

are you friend or foe

3

: a person who aids or favors something

4

capitalized : a member of a Christian group that stresses Inner Light, rejects sacraments and an ordained ministry, and opposes war

friendless

-ləs 

adjective

friendlessness noun

friend

2 of 2 verb

1

: to act as the friend of : befriend

2

: to include (a name) in a list of designated friends on one's social networking site