fellow

noun

fel·​low ˈfe-(ˌ)lō 

often attributive

1

: comrade, associate

was eager to rejoin his fellows

2

a

: an equal in rank, power, or character : peer

discussions among a group of fellows from the nearby Los Alamos National Laboratory

—Roger Lewin

b

: one of a pair : mate

3

: a member of a group having common characteristics

specifically : a member of an incorporated literary or scientific society

a fellow of the American College of Surgeons

4

a

obsolete : a person of one of the lower social classes

b

archaic : a worthless man or boy

c

: man, boy

He seems like a fine fellow.

d

: boyfriend, beau

She and her fellow went to the movies.

5

: an incorporated member of a college or collegiate foundation especially in a British university

6

: a person appointed to a position granting a stipend and allowing for advanced study or research

Did you know?

The Old Norse word for a partner, felagi, means literally “one who puts down property.” Such people were those who laid together their property for some common purpose. Old English borrowed felagi from Old Norse and called a partner a feolaga. This word has come down to us, through several centuries and the development of a number of senses, as modern English fellow. Perhaps its most common use today is its very general one, in which it is applied to any boy or man.

Synonyms

• beau
• boy
• boyfriend
• man
• old man
• swain

Examples of fellow in a Sentence

fellows and girls at a party

a young fellow like you

Your son's a bright little fellow.

She's found herself a new fellow.

a fellow of the American College of Surgeons

a Fellow of the Royal Society

Recent Examples on the Web

Jung Gun-joo (The Secret Romantic Guest House, Bitter Sweet Hell, Monthly Magazine Home and Oh My Baby) plays Cheon Jun-hwa, a fellow apprentice who happens to be the heir to Yongcheonru. —Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

Only Bardem’s fellow Spaniard, Karla Sofía Gascón, playing the pre-and-post-transition roles in Emilia Pérez, comes close. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Dec. 2024

And finally, something to watch and/or listen to: Shaka Mitchell, a fellow with the American Federation for Children and an advocate for school choice joined David Plazas on his Tennessee Voices podcast. —Andrea Williams, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Marc Joffe, a visiting fellow with the California Policy Center, said that one possibility would be to complete the initial 119-mile section of the track, from Madera to Shafter, then connect it with existing Amtrak service. —Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse fēlagi, from fēlag partnership, from fē cattle, money + lag act of laying

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing fellow

• fellow feeling
• fellow man
• fellow servant
• fellow traveler
• good fellow
• hail-fellow
• hail-fellow-well-met

Kids Definition

fellow

1 of 2 noun

fel·​low

ˈfel-ō

1

: comrade, associate

2

a

: an equal in rank, power, or character : peer

b

: one of a pair : mate

3

: a person holding any of various positions at a university

4

a

: a male person

b

: boyfriend sense 2

5

: a person granted funds for advanced study

fellow

2 of 2 adjective

: being a companion, mate, or associate

Medical Definition

fellow

noun

fel·​low

ˈfel-(ˌ)ō, -ə(-w)

: a young physician who has completed training as an intern and resident and has been granted a stipend and position allowing him or her to do further study or research in a specialty