Colleague Meaning
Colleague Definition & Usage
A person who works with another person in the same organization or profession.
Examples
- "My colleague is handling the marketing strategy for the new campaign."
- "She has been a great colleague since I started at the company."
- "I need to discuss this with my colleagues before making a decision."
- "The meeting was productive, and all my colleagues contributed valuable insights."
- "John is my closest colleague, and we collaborate on almost all projects."
A fellow member of a group, club, or association, especially one with shared goals or activities.
Examples
- "At the conference, I met several colleagues from other universities."
- "The colleagues at my gym are all very supportive of each other."
- "He joined the research team as a colleague and soon became an expert in the field."
- "The colleagues in the book club discussed the novel for hours."
- "She considered her fellow volunteers as colleagues in their joint charity efforts."
Cultural Context
The word 'colleague' has been in use since the 14th century, derived from the Latin 'collega', meaning 'partner in office'. Historically, it referred specifically to those working together in official roles, but its usage has expanded over time to cover various professional and cooperative settings.
The Colleagues’ Challenge
Story
The Colleagues’ Challenge
When Sarah joined the new tech startup, she was eager to prove herself. The team was small, and everyone worked closely together, each person bringing unique skills to the table. As she sat in the open-plan office, Sarah glanced around at her colleagues – Daniel, the seasoned developer; Maria, the creative marketing guru; and Jack, the numbers wizard. They all had their own areas of expertise but shared a singular goal: to make their new app a success. One afternoon, a challenge arose: the app was experiencing a glitch that nobody seemed able to fix. Sarah's colleagues were brainstorming solutions, but it was clear they needed a fresh perspective. Sarah hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. 'What if we approach this from a user perspective? Perhaps there's something we're missing in the way it's being interacted with.' Maria nodded. 'That's actually a great point, Sarah.' Jack chimed in, 'Yeah, let’s try something different.' As they began discussing, Sarah realized that their collaborative spirit – the way they, as colleagues, came together to solve problems – was the key to the company’s success. By the end of the day, they had cracked the code. Sarah smiled as she shared a celebratory look with her colleagues, knowing that their partnership was what made the team strong. The next day, they celebrated their success by having lunch together, discussing not just work, but life outside the office. It was then that Sarah understood the true meaning of being a colleague – not just someone who worked alongside you, but someone you could rely on, share ideas with, and grow alongside.
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