partner

From Middle English partener, partiner, alteration (due to Middle English part) of Middle English parcener, from Old French parçonier, parçonneour (“joint heir”) from parçon (“partition”), from Latin partītiōnem, singular accusative of partītiō (“portion”). The word may also represent Old French part tenour (“part holder”). Compare also Middle English partifere (“partner”), partifelewe (“partner”). Doublet of parcener.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑɹt.nɚ/, [ˈpɑɹʔ.nɚ]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈpɐːt.nə/, /ˈpaːt.nə/
• Hyphenation: part‧ner

partner (plural partners)

1. Either of a pair of people or things that belong together.
2. Someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest.

   business partner

   dance partner

   doubles partner

   speaking partner

   sex partner

   1. A member of a business or law partnership.
      • 1668 July 3, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 548:

        He Suſpends on theſe Reaſons, that Thomas Rue had granted a general Diſcharge to Adam Muſhet, who was his Conjunct, and correus debendi, after the alleadged Service, which Diſcharged Muſhet, and conſequently Houstoun his Partner.

   2. A spouse or other person with whom one shares a domestic, romantic, or sexual bond.
      • 2023 April 23, Amelia Gentleman, “CPS includes ‘love-bombing’ in guidance on abusive partners prosecution”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN, archived from the original on 24 December 2025:

        New guidance on how to prosecute abusive partners for controlling and coercive behaviour has highlighted the phenomenon of love-bombing, a tactic used by suspects to confuse victims and gain more control.

   3. Someone with whom one dances in a two-person dance.
      • 1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter I, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC:

        He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance. […] But she said she must go back, and when they joined the crowd again her partner was haled off with a frightened look to the royal circle, […].

   4. Someone with whom one plays on the same side in a game, such as card games or doubles tennis.
3. (nautical) One of the pieces of wood comprising the framework which strengthens the deck of a wooden ship around the holes through which the mast and other fittings pass.
4. (Jamaica) A group financial arrangement in which each member contributes a set amount of money over a set period.

• See also Thesaurus:associate
• See also Thesaurus:spouse

partner (third-person singular simple present partners, present participle partnering, simple past and past participle partnered)

1. (transitive) To join as a partner.
2. (intransitive, often with with) To work or perform as a partner.
   • 2020 October 6, Belinda Luscombe, “Would You Date Someone With Different Political Beliefs? Here's What a Survey of 5,000 Single People Revealed”, in Time‎^[2]:

     “In the current period, when people are embedded in social and informational bubbles with like-minded friends and relatives,” he says, “the idea of partnering with someone from a different bubble is understandably daunting. At a minimum it’s awkward and complicated.”

   • 2022 January 12, “Network News: New freight trips for Tesco and DRS”, in RAIL, number 948, page 12:

     Tesco has partnered with Direct Rail Services (DRS) to launch a new refrigerated rail freight service from Tilbury to Coatbridge.

• ⇒ Cantonese: part (paat¹)

• “partner”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

• Parrent

Borrowed from English partner.

partner m (plural partnerë, definite partneri, definite plural partnerët)

1. partner

Borrowed from English partner.

• IPA^(key): [ˈpartnɛr]

• Audio:

  (file)

partner m anim (female equivalent partnerka)

1. partner

• See part

• “partner”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “partner”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “partner”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

From English partner.

partner c (singular definite partneren, plural indefinite partnere)

1. partner

• “partner” in Den Danske Ordbog

Borrowed from English partner.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɑrt.nər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: part‧ner

partner m (plural partners, diminutive partnertje n)

1. partner, love interest, romantic and/or sexual companion

   Mijn partner en ik zijn al tien jaar samen. ― My partner and I have been together for ten years.

   Ze zocht naar een geschikte partner om mee te settelen. ― She was looking for a suitable love interest to settle down with.

2. partner, companion (someone whom one engages in business)

   Synonyms: deelgenoot, genoot, vennoot, maat, compagnon, zakenpartner

   In zaken is het belangrijk om een betrouwbare partner te hebben. ― In business, it's important to have a reliable partner.

   Hij werd mijn partnertje in ons kleine startup-avontuur. ― He became my little business companion in our small startup adventure.

partner m or f by sense (plural partners)

1. (obsolete, except for in Quebec) partner

• “partner”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Unadapted borrowing from English partner.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [ˈpɒrtnɛr]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: part‧ner
• Rhymes: -ɛr

partner (plural partnerek)

1. partner

• partner in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Borrowed from English partner, from Middle English partener, partiner, alteration (due to Middle English part) of Middle English parcener, from Old French parçonier, parçonneour (“joint heir”) from parçon (“partition”), from Latin partītiōnem, singular accusative of partītiō (“portion”).

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈpartnər/ [ˈpart̪̚.nər]
• Rhymes: -artnər
• Syllabification: part‧ner

partner (plural partner-partner or para partner)

1. partner
   1. either of a pair of people or things that belong together.
   2. a member of a business or law partnership.
   3. a spouse or other person with whom one shares a domestic, romantic or sexual bond.
   4. someone with whom one dances in a two-person dance.
   5. someone with whom one plays on the same side in a game, such as card games or doubles tennis.

• “partner”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Borrowed from English partner.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpart.ner/
• Rhymes: -artner
• Hyphenation: pàrt‧ner

partner m or f by sense (invariable)

1. partner (all senses)

• pardner, partnah

From English partner.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɑːdna/
• Hyphenation: part‧ner

partner (plural partner dem, quantified partner)

1. partner

   A just me and mi partner 'Dread' know how fi entertain di people. ― Only my partner, 'Dread', and I know how to entertain the people.

2. (financial): An informal saving scheme.

   It a work and a it me a throw partner out of and a it all put food pan mi table.

   It works and I use some of that money to contribute to the informal saving scheme I'm a part of. It puts food on the table.

• throw partner

• Richard Allsopp, editor (1996), Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 430

From English partner.

partner m (definite singular partneren, indefinite plural partnere, definite plural partnerne)

1. a partner

• partnerskap

• partnar (Nynorsk)

• “partner” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “partner” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

partner m (definite singular partneren, indefinite plural partnerar, definite plural partnerane)

1. (pre-1991) alternative form of partnar

Borrowed from English partner, from Middle English partener, partiner, alteration (due to Middle English part) of Middle English parcener, from Old French parçonier, parçonneour (“joint heir”), from parçon (“partition”), from Latin partītiōnem, singular accusative of partītiō (“portion”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈpar.tnɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -artnɛr
• Syllabification: par‧tner

partner m pers (female equivalent partnerka)

1. partner (someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest)
2. partner (spouse, domestic, or romantic partner)
3. equal (someone of equal status to others)

• “partner”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “partner”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)

Unadapted borrowing from English partner, from Old French parçonneour (“joint heir”).

partner m or f by sense (plural partneres)

1. (dance) a dance partner

   Synonym: par

• “partner”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Borrowed from English partner.

• IPA^(key): /pârtner/
• Hyphenation: part‧ner

pȁrtner m anim (Cyrillic spelling па̏ртнер)

1. partner

Borrowed from English partner.

partner c

1. partner

   Synonyms: kompanjon, medspelare, moatjé

• The English plural partners is also used.

• “partner”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

From French partenaire, from English partner.

• IPA^(key): /paɾt.nɛɾ/

partner (definite accusative partneri, plural partnerler)

1. partner

Borrowed from English partner.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpartnɛr/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈpartnar/
• Rhymes: -artnɛr

partner m (plural partneriaid or partners)

1. partner

   Coordinate term: partneres

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “partner”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Borrowed from English parter.

partner c (plural partners)

1. partner

• partnerskip

• “partner”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011