# partner

/ˈpɑɹtnɝ/ (US) · /pˈɑːtnɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/partner
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. romantic relationship

noun · CEFR A1

the person you are in a long-term relationship or marriage with.

For teachers: a person with whom one is in a committed romantic or domestic relationship. Often used as a gender-neutral alternative to 'husband', 'wife', 'boyfriend', or 'girlfriend'.

- My partner and I have lived in this apartment for five years.
- The invitation was extended to each employee and their partner, ensuring that domestic companions were included in the formal gala.

### 2. business/work

noun · CEFR B1

someone you own a business with or work closely with on a project.

For teachers: an associate in a professional venture or ownership structure, especially in law, accounting, or medicine.

- She became a senior partner at the law firm after ten years of hard work.
- The two tech companies acted as strategic partners to develop the new software, sharing both the development costs and the eventual profits.

### 3. sports/dancing

noun · CEFR A2

the person you play with on the same team or dance with.

For teachers: one of two people who dance together or play together on a side in a game.

- You need to find a partner for the next dance.
- In professional ballroom competitions, the rapport between partners is judged as strictly as their individual technical execution.

### 4. to pair up

verb · CEFR B2

to join with another person or group to do something together.

For teachers: to associate as partners; to join with another person or entity for a specific collaborative purpose.

- The school partnered with a local library to encourage children to read more.
- The non-profit organisation partnered with several private donors to ensure the community centre remained operational during the winter months.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'with'.

### 5. ship framework

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a piece of wood used to strengthen the deck of a ship around a mast.

For teachers: a framework of timber fitted around a hole in a ship's deck to support a mast, capstan, or pump.

- The carpenter repaired the partners to make sure the mast was secure.
- Heavy seas had strained the deck, necessitating a full inspection of the partners where the mainmast passed through to the lower hold.

## Examples

- She is my business partner and we share an office.
- The teacher asked every student to find a partner for the science experiment.
- While the firm began as a solo practice, it eventually expanded to include a junior partner who managed the litigation department.

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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.