What does crewmate mean?
A crewmate is a person who shares membership of a crew with another — most commonly the crew of a ship, submarine, aircraft, or spacecraft, but also, by extension, members of any team working closely together toward a common goal. The word is inherently relational: it does not simply denote someone who belongs to a crew, but frames that person as one's fellow within it, and it therefore carries warm connotations of solidarity, shared responsibility, and camaraderie forged under pressure. It appears naturally in accounts of naval service, aviation, spaceflight, and rescue operations, where crews depend on one another for safety and success. The compound follows a familiar English pattern seen also in shipmate, teammate, and roommate, combining 'crew' with 'mate', an old word for companion or associate. In recent years the term has acquired a second, distinctly modern life through gaming culture: in the popular social-deduction game Among Us, players are assigned the role of 'Crewmate', making the word instantly recognisable to a new generation far removed from its seafaring origins.
nounA fellow member of a crew, such as the crew of a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or team working together on a shared task.
- A fellow member of a ship's, aircraft's, or spacecraft's crew.
- A fellow member of any working team or group, including in gaming contexts such as Among Us.
"The astronaut credited her crewmate with keeping morale high during the long mission."
"The lifeboat was launched by the captain and two of his crewmates."
"She accused her crewmate of faking tasks during the Among Us match."
Regular plural; commonly used when distinguishing survivors, colleagues, or fellow members within a larger crew.
"Three crewmates were rescued after the yacht capsized."
The word 'crewmate' shot from maritime obscurity to global fame when the video game Among Us turned it into a household term overnight.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crewmate
Crewmate is a straightforward English compound formed from 'crew' — a word borrowed from French crue (an increase or reinforcement), ultimately from Latin crescere, to grow — and 'mate', from Middle Low German māte meaning companion or messmate. Compounds of this shape arose in the seafaring vocabulary of early modern English, alongside shipmate and messmate, and crewmate followed the same pattern once 'crew' became established as the standard term for a body of sailors or workers manning a vessel. Its cognates include the wider family of '-mate' compounds such as roommate, classmate, and teammate.
How crewmate is actually used
The word carries a connotation of shared labour and camaraderie under demanding conditions. It has gained a distinct pop-culture association with the 2018 video game Among Us, where 'Crewmate' names the players' role.
Easily confused with crewmate
A crewman is a member of a crew himself, while a crewmate is defined relationally as a fellow member of one's own crew.