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compatriot

compatriot

22 3.9
A person from the same country as you
  • noun
  • /kəmˈpeɪtriət/
translation icon : compatriota
  • The diplomat was greeted warmly by his compatriots at the international conference.
  • Taiwan compatriots
  • Chinese compatriots
  • mainland compatriots

And there are many situations when, in order to take good care of your compatriots, you must cooperate with foreigners.

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Examples

  • Both the president and his 146 million compatriots are painfully aware of this.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Please, I just wanna help another compatriot in distress.

  • A compatriot of yours and one of our partners in the firm.

  • Your oldest friend and most loyal compatriot...

  • So this is being written by my compatriot Fertrum.

  • My dear, I came across two compatriots down at the ruins.

  • Maybe you are lucky enough to have friends or writing compatriots whose opinions you trust.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Ah, good morning, Jerron, my most loyal compatriot.

  • The refugees knew that a relatively large number of their compatriots had already succeeded.

    Academic text (1990)
  • But now he and his compatriots were safe, even if only momentarily, under a British flag.

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

countryman
vscompatriot
56 3.0

A man from the same country as you

is gender-neutral and covers any gender instead of being only male
countrywoman
vscompatriot
1 2.3

A woman from the same country as you

is gender-neutral and covers any gender instead of being only female

Antonyms

170 2.5

A person from a different country who is not a citizen

How Close

friend
1.0
paesano
  • Informal
1 9.5
compatriot
22 3.9
acquaintance
114 3.5
stranger
1.0

Surface Forms

compatriot singular
compatriots plural

Morphology

compatriot = patriot (transparent) = com + patriot

The prefix 'com-' ('with') + 'patriot' yields the clear sense 'fellow countryman', so the structural relation is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

The word compatriot comes from two parts: com- meaning 'with' and patria meaning 'country' or 'fatherland', the same root you see in patriot. So a compatriot is someone who is 'with' you from the same country — a fellow countryman or countrywoman.