crewmate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium (common in maritime, aviation, space contexts; high frequency in gaming culture post-2020).Neutral to informal. Formal in technical/maritime contexts; casual/colloquial in gaming/internet contexts.
Quick answer
What does “crewmate” mean?
A fellow member of a crew, especially on a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or organized team.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fellow member of a crew, especially on a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or organized team.
A member of a collaborative group in a shared task or mission; often used metaphorically in gaming (e.g., Among Us) to denote a cooperative player versus an imposter.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition. Both use the term in maritime, aviation, and now gaming contexts equally.
Connotations
Slightly more maritime-traditional in UK usage; more generalized to any team (tech, sport) in US.
Frequency
Comparable frequency. Gaming spike is global, US-led but adopted equally in UK.
Grammar
How to Use “crewmate” in a Sentence
crewmate on [the ship/ISS]crewmate of [captain/team]crewmate in [game/mission]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crewmate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A (not standard as verb)
American English
- N/A (not standard as verb)
adverb
British English
- N/A (not standard as adverb)
American English
- N/A (not standard as adverb)
adjective
British English
- N/A (not standard as adjective)
American English
- N/A (not standard as adjective)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; only if team is metaphorically a 'crew' (e.g., startup, film crew).
Academic
Used in maritime/aviation/space studies papers.
Everyday
Increasingly common due to gaming; denotes cooperative friend in shared task.
Technical
Standard in maritime, aviation, astronautics, film/theatre.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crewmate”
- Using 'crewmate' for any group member (e.g., book club).
- Spelling as 'crewmeme' or 'crewm8' in formal writing.
- Pronouncing as 'cru-mate' (/kruːmət/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it applies to any coordinated team operating a vehicle or involved in a mission: ships, planes, spacecraft, film crews, and now gaming teams.
No, it is solely a noun. There is no standard verb form 'to crewmate'.
'Crewmate' implies a structured, often hierarchical team with specific operational roles (usually transport/mission). 'Teammate' is broader, for any collaborative group (sports, projects).
The video game Among Us (2020) popularized the term globally, using 'Crewmate' as a specific role for cooperative players versus 'Imposters'.
A fellow member of a crew, especially on a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or organized team.
Crewmate is usually neutral to informal. formal in technical/maritime contexts; casual/colloquial in gaming/internet contexts. in register.
Crewmate: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkruː.meɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkruːˌmeɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “All hands on deck, crewmates!”
- “A captain is only as good as their crewmates.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
CREW + MATE → think 'a mate in your crew'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SHIP'S CREW AS COLLABORATIVE TEAM (The company is a ship, we are all crewmates).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'crewmate' LEAST likely to be used traditionally?