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

The first and only vice presidential debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took place in New York on Tuesday, a largely collegial affair that touched on many pressing issues facing the country. —Stefan Becket, CBS News, 2 Oct. 2024

Legislators tend to be more civil and collegial when meeting in private and more willing to engage in the give-and-take that can lead to win-win solutions. —James D’angelo, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019

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

Word History

Etymology

see college

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1