# friend

/ˈfɹɛnd/ (US) · /fɹˈɛnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/friend
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person you like

noun · CEFR A1

someone you know well and like, and who you enjoy spending time with.

For teachers: a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

- I am going to the cinema with a close friend from school.
- They have remained close friends for over twenty years, supporting each other through various career changes and personal challenges.

### 2. a supporter

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

someone who helps or supports a group, a charity, or an idea.

For teachers: a person who provides assistance or financial support to an institution or cause.

- The local library is looking for friends to help raise money for new books.
- As a long-time friend of the museum, she donated several rare sketches to the permanent collection.

### 3. ironic address

noun · CEFR B2 · Humorous · Informal

a word you use to address someone when you are being firm or warning them.

For teachers: used as a form of address, often ironically or condescendingly, when issuing a warning or expressing disagreement.

- Listen, friend, you can't park your car in front of my driveway.
- I would be very careful with that tone of voice, my friend, if you expect to get any help from this department.

### 4. a Quaker

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a member of a Christian group called the Society of Friends.

For teachers: a member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.

- The local meeting house was built by the Friends in the nineteenth century.
- The Friends have a long history of pacifism and social activism within the local community.

### 5. social media

verb · CEFR A2 · Informal

to add someone to your list of contacts on a social networking site.

For teachers: to add someone to a list of contacts on a social networking service, thereby granting them access to a profile.

- She friended me on Facebook after we met at the party last night.
- It is common practice for colleagues to friend each other on social platforms, though some prefer to keep their professional and private lives separate.

## Examples

- I am going to the cinema with a close friend tonight.
- She has been my best friend since we started primary school together twenty years ago.
- Maintaining a lifelong friend requires a significant investment of time and emotional energy, especially as professional and family obligations begin to compete for one's limited attention.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.