Words / B1

FEL-oh/ˈfeləʊ/

Fellow as an adjective means sharing a group: fellow students; fellow passengers. As a noun it can mean a member of a learned society (a fellow of the Royal Society) or, informally, a man. Colleague is the work twin. Do not call a professor “fellow” as a job title unless they hold a fellowship. UK universities advertise research fellow posts.

Meaning

Used of people who share a group or situation (fellow students); as a noun, a member of a learned society.

Examples

• “Fellow commuters shared umbrellas after the signal failure.”
• “She was elected a fellow of the college, which is the academic-title sense.”

Good to know

fellow + noun (shared group). Academic: a research fellow. Work twin: colleague. Informal “a fellow” = a man (old-fashioned).

Near in meaning

colleague

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