pal

1 of 2

noun

: a close friend
palship noun

pal

2 of 2

verb

palled; palling

intransitive verb

: to be or become pals : associate as pals
they've palled around for years

Examples of pal in a Sentence

Noun We've been pals since we were kids. Come on—be a pal and lend me the money. Verb they began to pal around after discovering that they both had kids on the same soccer team
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Bridges’ old pal and Oscar nominee Abraham Alexander also stopped by. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2025 Most of my experience consists of chauffeuring my then- teen-age son and his pals. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 The pals then fully gave up and just started speaking into the phone together. EW.com, 2 Apr. 2025 The Hungarian capital is safe ground for the Israeli leader and home to one of his biggest international pals, Viktor Orbán. Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pal

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Romani phral, phal brother, friend, from Sanskrit bhrātṛ brother; akin to Old English brōthor brother

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pal was in 1875

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pal. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pal

1 of 2 noun
: a close friend

pal

2 of 2 verb
palled; palling
: to be or become pals

Legal Definition

PAL

abbreviation
passive activity loss

More from Merriam-Webster on pal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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