noun
fellowship
an association of people who share common beliefs or activities
Where it comes from
Fellowship is formed from fellow, borrowed into Old English from Old Norse felagi, a partner. Felagi came from felag, a partnership, built from fe, property or money, and lag, a laying down.
How the meaning developed
A fellow was originally someone who laid down money or property into a shared venture. Partnership in pooled assets widened into companionship, equality, and membership, allowing fellowship to mean both a community and the relationship joining its members.
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Sources
Definitions adapted from Open English WordNet where applicable. License and attribution. Word-history text comes from Lexifour’s sourced social research; pages are assembled automatically, not individually fact-checked on every update.
Updated 2026-09-30. Report a correction.