coworker
noun
Words nearby coworker
VOCAB BUILDER
What does coworker mean?
A coworker is your fellow employee, especially a person you work closely with.
The words worker and coworker both refer to paid employees. Even if you work closely with your fellow students or volunteers, you would not call them your coworkers.
Example: I spent most of my first day meeting my coworkers who work in the same department.
Where does coworker come from?
The first records of coworker come from the 1600s. It’s formed with the prefix co-, meaning “together.” Coworkers are people who work together, cooperatively or otherwise.
In general, your coworkers are all of the people who work at the same job as you. But coworker is most commonly used to refer to a fellow employee who you frequently interact with because they have a similar position or a similar level of responsibility or authority in the workplace. Most people wouldn’t call their boss a coworker—they’d call them their boss.
A common synonym for coworker is colleague, but the two words can imply different things. Coworker is typically used in a neutral way simply to indicate that you work with someone. Colleague often indicates a sense of friendliness and respect, and it can also be used to refer to professional associates who don’t actually work in the same company or organization.
Because coworkers work closely together, it’s very common for them to become friends. It’s good to have coworker friends so you can all complain to each other about your other coworkers.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for coworker?
What are some words that share a root or word element with coworker?
What are some words that often get used in discussing coworker?
How is coworker used in real life?
The vast majority of people have had coworkers, and the word can be associated with all the ups and downs of working closely with other people every day.
The best coworkers are the ones who only use 50 minutes of a 60 minute meeting and return 10 minutes of my life back. ✅👍
— ☁️ David Ulevitch ☁️ (@davidu) March 21, 2017
It’s one thing when patients tell you you’re a good nurse or doctor but it’s another thing when your coworkers tell you they want you at bedside when if they’re ever sick.
— Mr. Old Fashioned (@ReppTiePrep) December 26, 2019
The best coworkers are those that offer to pick up lunch when you're trying to hit a deadline.
— LinkedIn (@LinkedIn) October 30, 2019
Try using coworker!
If you worked at a restaurant, which of the following people would NOT be considered your coworkers?
A. customers
B. servers
C. hosts
D. chefs