confrère

A lawyer discusses the case with his confrère in the office.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A fellow member of a profession, organization, or group: "confrère" refers to a colleague or associate, especially one who shares a common calling, field, or affiliation. It emphasizes a sense of camaraderie or shared purpose within a specific domain.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He consulted with his confrère at the law firm before drafting the contract. (He consulted a fellow lawyer who works in the same firm.)
  • The artist’s confrère in the guild offered valuable advice on the exhibition. (A fellow member of the artists' guild gave helpful guidance.)

Advanced Usage

• "to regard someone as a confrère": to consider someone a colleague or equal in a shared profession or endeavor.
  • After years of collaboration, she regarded him as a trusted confrère in the research community. (She saw him as a respected fellow researcher.)

Variants and Related Words

• Confraternity (n): a brotherhood or association of people with a common interest or purpose.
  • The confraternity of musicians meets annually to discuss new compositions. (The association of musicians gathers each year.)

Synonyms

• Colleague: a person with whom one works in a profession or business.
• Associate: a partner or companion in a common activity or field.
• Fellow: a person in the same position or sharing a common characteristic.

Related Idioms

• Fellow traveler: a person who sympathizes with or supports a particular group or cause, especially a political one, without being a formal member.
  • Though not a party member, he was a fellow traveler of the socialist movement. (He supported the movement informally.)

Note: "confrère" is a formal or literary term, often used in academic, professional, or artistic contexts. It is less common in everyday speech than "colleague" or "associate."