compatriot

noun

com·​pa·​tri·​ot kəm-ˈpā-trē-ət 

käm-, 

-trē-ˌät

chiefly British -ˈpa-

1

: a person born, residing, or holding citizenship in the same country as another

We watched our compatriots compete in the Olympics.

2

: companion, colleague

her compatriots in academia

theater compatriots

compatriotic

kəm-ˌpā-trē-ˈä-tik 

ˌkäm-

chiefly British -ˌpa-

adjective

Synonyms of compatriot

• countryman
• citizen
• national

Examples of compatriot in a Sentence

We watched our compatriots compete in the Olympics.

the famous actor and his theater compatriots

Recent Examples on the Web

While legal conservatives were developing theories of enhanced executive power, their political compatriots gained a congressional majority for the first time in decades. —Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri was 12 seconds back in second place in a personal-best time on her London debut and compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei was third, a further two seconds adrift. —ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026

But Vernadsky’s compatriot, the rocketeer and sci-fi writer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, had already taken this yet further. —Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026

Wembanyama was a rookie in 2024 when Rudy Gobert, his fellow French compatriot, won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French compatriote, from Late Latin compatriota, from Latin com- + Late Latin patriota fellow countryman — more at patriot

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for compatriot

• patriot

Kids Definition

compatriot

noun

com·​pa·​tri·​ot kəm-ˈpā-trē-ət 

käm-, 

-trē-ˌät

: a person from one's own country : countryman