‘Joinee’ or ‘Joiner’: Which is Correct?

By Shanea Patterson, updated on November 3, 2022

Is it ‘joinee’ or ‘joiner’? If you’re struggling with which one to use, this article will cover that, and you’ll also learn how to use the correct version in a sentence. It might seem like it follows the same rules as trainer and trainee, but that’s not exactly the case.

The short answer is that the correct way to talk about someone who’s joined something is to refer to them as a ‘joiner.’ It’s never correct to say ‘joinee.’

Should We Use ‘Joinee’ or ‘Joiner’

 The proper way to express the word is ‘joiner.’ Even though it might seem like it should follow the same rules as trainer and trainee, it follows a different set of rules.

Joiners or Joinees – Which is Correct 

So, which one is the correct one to use? You’ve already learned that it’s correct to say ‘joiners’ rather than ‘joinees.’ The word ‘joinees’ is not a recognized word in the English language, so using it, in any case, would be incorrect.

Definition and Meaning 

Now that we know which word is correct let’s define it. Then, we’ll look at using it correctly in a sentence.

The Merriam-Webster definition of the word is “a person whose occupation is to construct articles by joining pieces of wood” and “a gregarious or civic-minded person who joins many organizations.”

This is somewhat different than the definition of ‘join,’ which is “to put or bring together so as to form a unit,” “to connect (separated items, such as points) by a line,” “to put or bring into close association or relationship,” and “to come into the company of (someone).”

It can also mean “to enter into or engage in (battle),” “adjoin,” and “to come into close association or relationship: such as to become a member of a group or organization or to take part in a collective activity – usually with in,” “to form an alliance,” and “to come together so as to be connected.”

Using ‘Joiner’ in a Sentence

By now, you know that ‘joiner’ is the correct way to say someone who joins something, whether it’s a club or an organization.

Now, let’s discuss how to use the word correctly in a sentence.

Here are a few examples of how to do just that:

  • My brother-in-law just got hired as an apprentice joiner.
  • My uncle used to own a joiner’s shop in the Hudson Valley.
  • Can you close the door because you’re the last joiner of the meeting?
  • Are you a joiner or an electrician?

What is the Plural of 'Joiner'

Pluralizing the word ‘joiner’ means following the standard rules for most English words. That means, to make it plural, you’d simply add an ‘s’ or ‘es.’ In this case, it’s the former.

It’s like a lot of simple English nouns that pluralize the same way, such as:

  • Cat > Cats
  • Member > Members
  • Food > Food/Foods
  • Window > Windows
  • Roof > Roofs
  • Shrimp > Shimp/Shrimps
  • Swine > Swine/Swines
  • Trout > Trout/Trouts

So, you'd say 'joiners.'

Final Thoughts on Using ‘Joiner’

It might be tempting to use ‘joinee’ instead of ‘joiner’ because the word ‘trainer’ becomes ‘trainee’ when you reverse the roles.

But the word ‘join’ would become ‘joiner’ in its verb form.

This one is a bit tricky, but to help you remember, keep in mind that it’s not like trainer and trainee.

It’s actually more like words and phrases such as juror and memorium.

That’s why we’ve created an entire library dedicated to helping you with confusing words and spelling. Don’t forget to bookmark it for later.

We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook. Just click those two links - you'll see why.

It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.

Written By:
Shanea Patterson
Shanea Patterson is a writer based in New York and loves writing for brands big and small. She has a master's degree in professional writing from New York University and a bachelor's degree in English from Mercy College.

Add new comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WritingTips.org Newsletter
Receive information on
new articles posted, important topics, and tips.
Join Now
We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
magnifier