fellow traveler


noun

a person who supports or sympathizes with a political party, especially the Communist Party, but is not an enrolled member.
anyone who, although not a member, supports or sympathizes with some organization, movement, or the like.

Origin of fellow traveler

1605–15, for literal sense

OTHER WORDS FROM fellow traveler

fel·low-trav·el·ing [fel-oh-trav-uh-ling, -trav-ling] /ˌfɛl oʊˌtræv ə lɪŋ, -ˈtræv lɪŋ/, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for fellow traveler

Cultural definitions for fellow traveler

fellow traveler

One who supports the aims or philosophies of a political group without joining it. A “fellow traveler” is usually one who sympathizes with communist doctrines but is not a member of the Communist party. The term was used disparagingly in the 1950s to describe people accused of being communists.