fellowship
Medium (B2-C1)Formal, literary, academic, religious
Definition
Meaning
A feeling of friendship and community between people who share interests, activities, or values.
A group of people sharing such a feeling; an organized society or association; a period of financial support and status granted to a scholar or researcher (postgraduate fellowship); the position of a fellow in a college or society.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word suggests a deeper, more communal bond than mere 'friendship'. It implies shared purpose, support, and often intellectual or spiritual camaraderie. It can denote both an intangible feeling and a concrete group or position.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is broadly similar. The 'postgraduate fellowship' meaning is equally common in academic contexts. 'Fellowship' as a church social group is slightly more frequent in UK English.
Connotations
Strong positive connotations of shared struggle, mutual support, and high-minded purpose (e.g., a fellowship of explorers). In UK academic contexts, a 'fellow' is a senior member of a college with specific privileges.
Frequency
Higher frequency in academic, literary, and religious contexts in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
a fellowship between X and Ya fellowship of X (e.g., writers)a fellowship in X (e.g., chemistry)fellowship with XVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Fellowship of the Ring (proper noun from Tolkien)”
- “break fellowship with someone (formal, to end an association)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Could refer to a collegial atmosphere: 'The company fosters a strong sense of fellowship.'
Academic
Very common. Refers to funded research positions and scholarly communities: 'She won a prestigious fellowship to study at Oxford.'
Everyday
Common in religious or hobby group contexts: 'We have a fellowship meeting after the service.'
Technical
In medicine, a 'fellowship' is advanced training after residency. In computing/gaming, refers to player groups (e.g., 'fellowship' in Lord of the Rings Online).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He loved to fellowship with other believers after the service. (rare, informal religious use)
American English
- The church members gather to fellowship every Wednesday night. (rare, informal religious use)
adjective
British English
- She was offered a fellowship place at the college.
American English
- He is in a fellowship program at the hospital.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The friends had a strong fellowship.
- There was a warm fellowship among the team members after winning the championship.
- The university offered her a research fellowship to continue her studies in biology.
- The sense of fellowship forged among the soldiers during the campaign lasted a lifetime.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a group of FELLOWS on a SHIP, working together on a shared voyage. The ship represents their shared journey and community.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNITY IS A BOND / SHARED JOURNEY. ('ties of fellowship', 'the fellowship of the road')
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как 'дружба' (friendship) в контексте организованной группы. 'Академическая стипендия' может быть переводом 'scholarship' или 'grant', но 'fellowship' — это именно статус и финансирование для исследователя, а не просто деньги на учёбу. В религиозном контексте 'fellowship' часто переводится как 'общение' или 'братство'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'fellowship' to mean a casual social gathering (too weak). Confusing it with 'scholarship' (for undergraduate study) or 'internship' (work experience).
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts is the word 'fellowship' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Friendship is a personal relationship between individuals. Fellowship is a broader feeling of community, camaraderie, and shared purpose within a group.
Yes, it is generally formal or literary, though it is used naturally in specific contexts like academia, religion, and historical/literary narratives.
Indirectly. A 'fellowship' is a position that often comes with financial support (a stipend or grant). The money itself is part of the fellowship award.
A 'fellow' is a member of a fellowship. In academia, it's a senior scholar or researcher who holds a fellowship. In other contexts, it's simply a comrade or member of the group.