collaborator
/kə'læbəreitə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An associate in an activity or endeavor or sphere of common interest: A person who works jointly with others, especially in an intellectual or creative pursuit.
- Someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force: A person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy, especially one that has occupied their country.
Usage
- The primary meaning refers to a partner in a shared project, often with a positive or neutral connotation.
- The secondary meaning is highly negative and historical, referring to treasonous cooperation with an occupying enemy.
Examples
- As a partner in an activity:
- She was his closest collaborator on the scientific research paper.
- The director thanked his collaborators for their hard work on the film.
- As a traitorous cooperator:
- After the war, collaborators were tried for treason.
- The regime was supported by local collaborators.
Advanced Usage
- In academic/professional contexts: The term is neutral and standard for describing co-authors, co-researchers, or co-creators.
- The study lists all collaborators from the three participating universities.
- In historical/political contexts: The term carries a strong pejorative weight.
- The museum exhibit examines the difficult moral choices faced by potential collaborators during the occupation.
Variants and Related Words
- Collaborate (verb): To work jointly on an activity or project.
- The two companies agreed to collaborate on the new technology.
- Collaboration (noun): The action of working with someone to produce something.
- The project was a successful collaboration between art and science.
- Collaborative (adjective): Produced or conducted by two or more parties working together.
- The team has a collaborative work environment.
Synonyms
- Partner: A person who takes part in an undertaking with another or others.
- Colleague: A person with whom one works in a profession or business.
- Accomplice: A person who helps another commit a crime (closer to the negative sense).
- Quisling: A traitor who collaborates with an enemy occupying force (specifically for the negative sense).
Related Phrases
- Willing collaborator: Emphasizes a person's voluntary partnership, which can be used in either the positive or negative sense depending on context.
- He was a willing collaborator in the artistic experiment.
- She was accused of being a willing collaborator with the invaders.
Noun
- an associate in an activity or endeavor or sphere of common interest
- the musician and the librettist were collaborators
- sexual partners
- someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force
- someone who assists in a plot