‘Comradery' or 'Camaraderie': What's the Difference?

Wondering how to spell the word correctly – ‘comradery’ or ‘camaraderie’? And what is the difference between these words? We’ll go over that in detail in this article, plus teach you how to use the correct spelling of the word in a sentence.

In short, the difference between these words is:

• ‘Comradery’ is an alternate way to spell ‘camaraderie.’
• ‘Camaraderie’ is a noun that means the warm feelings of friendship, closeness, and loyalty shared among a group of people or a team.

These words mean the same thing, so you can feel free to use them interchangeably.

‘Comradery’ or ‘Camaraderie’ – Which is Correct?

The truth is, they’re both correct. While ‘camaraderie’ is the original spelling of the word, the variant spelling ‘comradery’ has gained wide acceptance, and people often use the variants interchangeably in their writing.

Is It ‘Comradery’ or ‘Camaraderie’?

As we just went over, both words are acceptable to use.

There’s no difference when it comes to meaning, which means they can't be homophones.

Both words refer to the feeling of friendliness, goodwill, and familiarity among the people in a group.

You might say that your group of friends has a great ‘camaraderie’ because of how well you all get along and because of how much fun you all have together.

Definition and Meaning of ‘Comradery’ and ‘Camaraderie’

The definition of this word and its variant; according to Merriam-Webster, the definition is the feeling of friendliness, goodwill, and familiarity among the people in a group.

Synonyms of the word include:

• Brotherhood
• Companionship
• Fellowship
• Company
• Society
• Community

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘Comradery’ and ‘Camaraderie’

Wondering how to pronounce these words? Here’s a short guide.

• To pronounce the words correctly here’s the phonetic spelling: kahm-RAH-DUH-ree

How to Use ‘Comradery’ and ‘Camaraderie’ in a Sentence

Now that you know what the words mean and how to pronounce them, let’s see how to use them in a sentence correctly.

• There’s such great camaraderie among the members of the high school swim team.
• I guarantee great camaraderie when your son joins Little League.
• We’ve developed a real camaraderie after working together all summer long.
• The camaraderie among the campers makes the activities even more fun.
• My church has great camaraderie. We travel all over the world together, spreading the word of God.
• The camaraderie at the office prompted our manager to get t-shirts made for our semi-weekly softball tournaments against a rival firm.

Remember, if your audience changes, you can swap out one word for the other. They mean the same thing.

Concluding Thoughts on ‘Comradery’ and ‘Camaraderie’

To recap, we learned that the difference between these words is:

• ‘Comradery’ is a variant of the word ‘camaraderie.’
• ‘Camaraderie’ is a noun that refers to the feeling of friendliness, goodwill, and familiarity among the people in a group.

These words mean the same thing, so you can feel free to use them interchangeably. 

If you ever get stuck on the meaning or usage, you can always come back to refresh your memory. We’ve also got a ton of other content on other confusing words and phrases you might see as you’re learning the language. Feel free to check it out anytime.