collegial

adjective

col·​le·​gial kə-ˈlē-j(ē-)əl 

 especially for sense 2a also  -ˈlē-gē-əl

1

: collegiate sense 2

2

a

: marked by power or authority vested equally in each of a number of colleagues

There was an increasing tendency to turn from collegial to one-man management.

—Merle Fainsod

b

: characterized by equal sharing of authority especially by Roman Catholic bishops

a collegial church

3

: marked by camaraderie among colleagues

collegial relationships among faculty members

collegially adverb

Synonyms

• amicable
• bonhomous
• buddy-buddy
• chummy
• companionable
• comradely
• cordial
• friendly
• genial
• hail-fellow
• hail-fellow-well-met
• hearty
• matey [chiefly British]
• neighborly
• palsy
• palsy-walsy [slang]
• warm
• warmhearted

Examples of collegial in a Sentence

company luncheons that are designed to instill a collegial spirit among coworkers

Recent Examples on the Web

For the justices, here’s to a more collegial culture at work. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024

But in the case of investigating the CIA’s interrogation program, a more collegial process would have served the country better, yielded a deeper understanding of what happened, and made clearer the legitimate disagreements that remain. —Robert Jervis, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2015

The company also chastises the agency for allegedly using litigation, where the agency sues companies in hopes of setting new precedent, as a substitute for rule-making, where there is an open and more collegial process where industry actors have a greater voice. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019

The mission is the result of a collegial effort that relies on cross communication at the highest levels, say the program managers. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see college

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1