colleagues: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Neutral to formal; standard in professional, academic, and business contexts.
Quick answer
What does “colleagues” mean?
People one works with in a profession or organization.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
People one works with in a profession or organization.
Fellow members of a learned society, professional body, or other association; can also denote peers in a broader, collaborative sense beyond formal employment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. In UK English, 'colleagues' can be used slightly more broadly in academic/clerical contexts (e.g., 'my colleagues in the clergy'). In US business contexts, 'coworkers' is a very common, more casual synonym.
Connotations
Slightly more formal in both dialects than 'coworkers' (AmE) or 'workmates' (BrE). Carries a connotation of professional respect.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both dialects. 'Coworkers' is more frequent in everyday American speech, while 'colleagues' dominates in British professional contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “colleagues” in a Sentence
work with colleaguescolleagues from [department/company]colleagues at [institution]be colleagues with someoneamong one's colleaguesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “colleagues” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A – 'colleague' is not standardly used as a verb.
American English
- N/A – 'colleague' is not standardly used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A – 'collegial' exists but is formal and distinct.
American English
- N/A – 'collegial' exists but is formal and distinct.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to people in the same company or department. 'I'll circulate the report to my colleagues.'
Academic
Denotes fellow researchers or faculty members. 'She published the paper with her colleagues from Cambridge.'
Everyday
Used to refer to people at one's workplace. 'I'm going for a drink with my colleagues after work.'
Technical
In specific fields (e.g., law, medicine), it can denote members of the same professional body, not necessarily in the same workplace.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “colleagues”
- Misspelling: 'collegues' or 'coleagues'.
- Incorrect preposition: 'colleagues of mine' is less common than 'my colleagues' or 'colleagues from...'.
- Overuse in informal contexts where 'people from work' or 'coworkers' might suffice.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Colleagues' often implies a professional relationship and can include people in the same field but different organizations. 'Coworkers' (primarily AmE) specifically denotes people who work in the same physical workplace or company and is more casual.
In academic settings, yes. Fellow students, especially at postgraduate level or working on a joint project, can be called colleagues. For undergraduate peers, 'classmates' or 'fellow students' is more common.
No. 'Colleagues' is plural. The singular is 'a colleague' (one person). A common mistake is treating 'colleagues' as a singular collective noun, but it is a standard plural.
Stress the first syllable: COL-leagues. The '-gue' is silent, pronounced like a hard 'g' only. UK: /ˈkɒliːɡz/. US: /ˈkɑːliːɡz/. The final 's' is a /z/ sound.
People one works with in a profession or organization.
Colleagues is usually neutral to formal; standard in professional, academic, and business contexts. in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse, as we say among colleagues. (humorous, old-fashioned)”
- “To be pilloried by one's colleagues.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'COLLEGE' + 'GUEs'. Imagine all the people you might work with at a college – they are your COLLEAGUES.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORKPLACE AS COMMUNITY ('work family', 'band of brothers/sisters'); PROFESSION AS GUILD ('fellow members').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'colleagues' LEAST appropriate?