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
Several of her celebrity pals showed off her strawberry jam on Instagram. Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025 On Monday, Kotb and cohost Jenna Bush Hager announced the first group of celebrity pals who will fill in as temporary hosts on Today's fourth hour, which is being rechristened Today With Jenna & Friends. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025 Courtesy of brand Rothy’s Almond Loafers $179 Rothy’s Courtesy of brand Both women, as well as Hailey's husband Justin Bieber, were attending their pal Lauren Perez's bowling birthday party at Lucky Strike Beverly Hills at the Beverly Center, which may have inspired their boxy attire. Sam Reed, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2025 On a positive note, the upcoming weeks could give you an opportunity to reconnect with an old pal, ex-lover or distant friend. Kyle Thomas, People.com, 5 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near pal

Cite this Entry

“Pal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pal. Accessed 16 Jan. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!