What does workmate mean?
Workmate means a person with whom one works: a coworker or fellow employee. It names the relationship primarily by the shared workplace, and it is especially familiar in British and Australian English, although it is also understood in American English, where “coworker” is more usual. The word is usually neutral; it does not imply that the two people are friends, although extended daily contact may make them close. A workmate might be a colleague in an office, a fellow employee on a production line, or someone sharing a shift at another workplace. Compared with “colleague,” “workmate” tends to foreground the practical fact of working together, while “coworker” is especially common in North American usage. The compound is also useful in contexts where the workplace relationship is relevant, such as describing safety responsibilities, workplace testimony, or social interaction among employees. Overall, “workmate” is a direct word for someone who shares one’s working environment, though “coworker” is often the more idiomatic choice in American English.
nounA workmate is a person with whom one works, especially a colleague who shares the same workplace or job. The term is particularly common in British and Australian English.
- A person with whom one works; a colleague or fellow employee.
"Her workmate covered the shift while she was attending a training course."
"After years on the same shift, her workmate knew exactly how she took her tea."
"A workmate testified that the faulty machinery had already been reported."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s.
"Her workmates arranged a collection for the departing colleague."
A workmate is a colleague in the literal sense: someone whose working day overlaps with yours.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does workmate come from?
Workmate is a transparent English compound of work and mate. The compound is attested from the nineteenth century, while its elements are older: work descends from Old English weorc, and mate in the sense of companion developed through Middle English from a Germanic word for a fellow or companion. Its relatives roommate, classmate, schoolmate, and teammate preserve the same second element in other forms of association.
Related word forms
How workmate is actually used
Generally neutral, though it can sound somewhat more familiar than colleague. It is especially common in British and Australian English; American speakers generally use coworker more often.
Easily confused with workmate
A workmate and a coworker both mean a fellow employee, but coworker is especially common in American English, while workmate is more established in British and Australian usage.
A workmate is any colleague who works with another person, whereas a workman specifically denotes a man employed in manual or skilled work and can sound dated.