Meaning & use
companion
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
Someone or something that you spend a lot of time with or travel with.
Grammar: Has a plural: travel companions.
Patterns
- a companion to someone
- a companion for someone
His dog was his constant companion on long walks.
She found a travel companion on the train.
The nurse was both helper and companion.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A person employed to live with and keep another person company, especially an older one.
Grammar: Often a paid role.
Patterns
- a companion to someone
She hired a companion for her elderly mother.
The lady traveled with a companion.
He works as a companion for people living alone.
nouncountable
One of a matching pair or a book that accompanies another, such as a reference guide.
Grammar: Often used before a noun: companion volume.
Patterns
- a companion to something
This glove has no companion.
The book is a companion to the TV series.
A companion guide lists all the characters.
Word forms
| plural | companions |
|---|
Common combinations
- travel companion
- We met a travel companion in Rome.
- constant companion
- Loneliness was his constant companion.
- faithful companion
- The dog was his faithful companion.
- companion animal
- A companion animal can ease stress.
- companion piece
- The film is a companion piece to the novel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- friend
- A friend is chosen out of affection, whereas companion may simply be someone who is there.
- partner
- Partner suggests a formal or romantic relationship.
- sidekick
- Sidekick is informal and implies a helper to a main person.
- associate
- Associate is a business or loose connection, less warm than companion.
Opposites
Word family
- companionship noun
- the pleasure of being with someone
- companionable adjective
- friendly and pleasant to be with
- companionably adverb
- in a friendly way
- accompany verb
- to go somewhere with someone
Commonly confused: companion or companion vs. company?
companion vs companion vs. company
Company is a business or being with people; a companion is a person.
Practice
The elderly man's cat was his only ___ in the quiet house.
Choose one answer.
A companion is someone or something that keeps you company. The other nouns are people with different roles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “companion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.