fellow
fellow — adjective
1. belonging to the same group, workplace, or set of circumstances as the speaker o
belonging to the same group, workplace, or set of circumstances as the speaker or person being discussed.
Camila met her fellow nursing students on the first day at the training hospital.
fellow + plural noun for group members
The judge asked her fellow citizens to serve on the jury.
fellow citizens — shared citizenship
My fellow workers at the textile plant and I are demanding safer working conditions.
Christopher received a warm welcome from his fellow musicians at the festival.
- co-
prefix used before nouns (co-worker, co-author) instead of an adjective
文法句型
fellow + noun
用法筆記
Always used before a noun — you cannot say 'a fellow person' on its own. The noun it modifies (e.g. citizens, workers, students) names the shared characteristic.
常見錯誤
fellow — noun
1. a person who shares a particular situation, workplace, or set of activities with
a person who shares a particular situation, workplace, or set of activities with you — used on its own as a noun rather than as a modifier.
Madison and her fellows at the lab meet every Friday to discuss progress.
and her fellows — group membership pattern
The soldiers fought bravely and mourned the loss of their fallen fellows.
The artist gathered his fellows to paint the autumn landscape together.
Our fellows in the Tokyo office sent a video greeting for the holiday party.
During the storm, neighbourhood fellows from the centre organised hot meals for elderly residents.
- stranger
someone not part of the same group
文法句型
my/our fellow
fellow in [activity]
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with the adjective sense (SAME GROUP), but as a noun it stands alone — 'my fellows' means 'the people who share my situation'. In modern English, 'colleagues' is more common for workplace contexts; 'fellow' here carries a slightly warmer, more personal tone.
2. someone who holds a permanent or long-term teaching or research post at a univer
someone who holds a permanent or long-term teaching or research post at a university, or who has been elected to an academic society.
After publishing her third book, Trang was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.
Fellow of [society] — academic title pattern
The college has forty teaching fellows and over two hundred students.
Dr. Jabari spent a year as a visiting research fellow at Oxford's zoology department.
As a senior research fellow, Tunde supervises doctoral candidates in the physics department.
- faculty member
broader term for any teacher at a college; does not imply the special rank or privileges of a fellow
- don
Oxford/Cambridge term for a college fellow or tutor
文法句型
Fellow of [institution]
Fellow of [society]
用法筆記
When used as a title before a name, 'Fellow' is capitalised (e.g. 'Fellow of the Royal Society'). In British universities, a 'fellow' is typically a member of the governing body of a college, distinct from 'lecturer' or 'professor' who may not hold fellowship status.
常見錯誤
3. a senior member of a professional institute or trade body, as distinct from an a
a senior member of a professional institute or trade body, as distinct from an academic or learned society.
Élise became a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants last year.
Fellow of [professional institute] — title pattern
The civil engineering conference in Singapore was attended by fellows of several European associations.
fellows of [professional bodies] — industry context
Senior engineers can apply to become a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Dr. Adegoke, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, helped write national GP training standards.
- member
general term; 'fellow' specifically implies a more senior or distinguished grade of membership
文法句型
Fellow of [organization]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (ACADEMIC TITLE): this sense refers to membership in professional bodies (accountancy, engineering, medicine), while sense 2 refers to university or learned-society positions. Many organisations use 'Fellow' as their highest membership grade.
常見錯誤
4. a man or boy — used historically, mainly by someone of higher rank, to speak abo
a man or boy — used historically, mainly by someone of higher rank, to speak about a male they considered to be below themselves in the social order.
The young fellow tipped his cap as the Earl's carriage passed through the village gates.
young fellow — common historical pattern
Vikram is a fine fellow, always ready to help a neighbour fix a fence or carry firewood.
The old gardener was a cheerful fellow who whistled while he worked.
A fellow in a grey coat stood near the garden gate, watching the house.
文法句型
old fellow
young fellow
poor fellow
用法筆記
This sense sounds old-fashioned or literary in modern English. In casual conversation, 'guy' or 'bloke' (British) is more common. The phrase 'old fellow' survives as a friendly, slightly old-fashioned way to address a man.
常見錯誤
5. a researcher, often a postgraduate, who holds a fixed-term grant to carry out a
a researcher, often a postgraduate, who holds a fixed-term grant to carry out a specific investigation at a university.
Joon spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the National University of Singapore.
postdoctoral fellow — common research career stage
The Watanabe Foundation awards ten fellowships a year; each fellow receives a living allowance and full tuition.
fellow + allowance/tuition — funded grant pattern
Kasia applied for a position as a graduate fellow in the chemistry department.
The research fellow presented her findings on coral reef recovery at an ocean science conference in Lisbon.
- grant recipient
wider term; refers to anyone receiving a grant, not just academic researchers
文法句型
postdoctoral fellow
research fellow
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (ACADEMIC TITLE), a 'fellow' in this sense holds a temporary, funded position — not a permanent academic appointment. The position is tied to a specific research project or a fixed-term grant.
常見錯誤
6. one of two things that form a matching pair; the mate or counterpart of another
one of two things that form a matching pair; the mate or counterpart of another object.
Paloma found one earring but could not locate its fellow anywhere.
its fellow — possessive for the other half of a pair
This glove has a small tear, but the fellow is still in perfect condition.
The Ming-dynasty vase was sold with its fellow in London — the two were made as a set.
The carpenter found the broken chair leg under the bench and its fellow at the back of the workshop.
- mate
equally common for physical pairs; 'fellow' sounds slightly more formal
- counterpart
more formal, used for abstract or functional pairs
- match
most common in everyday speech for physical paired items
文法句型
the fellow of [noun]
[noun] and its fellow
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly heard in discussions of shoes, gloves, earrings, and other paired accessories. It is less common for abstract pairs.
常見錯誤
7. a male romantic partner; a boyfriend — used especially in older or rural British
a male romantic partner; a boyfriend — used especially in older or rural British English.
Sarah brought her new fellow to Sunday dinner, and her parents seemed pleased.
her fellow — possessive for romantic partner
The old ballad tells of a young woman whose fellow sailed away to sea.
Karim asked his mother if her fellow from the next village would join them for tea.
In the old village, the elders knew every young woman's fellow from watching them grow up.
文法句型
her fellow
用法筆記
This sense is rare in modern English and sounds dated or regional (rural British dialects). In contemporary speech, 'boyfriend' or 'partner' is used instead.