Friend vs. Fellow — What's the Difference?

A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

A fellow is a broad concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.

A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

A man or boy.

A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

(Informal) A boyfriend.

One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement

A comrade or associate.

Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker.

A person of equal rank, position, or background; a peer.

(Informal) To add (someone) as a friend on a social networking website.

One of a pair; a mate

(Archaic) To befriend.

A member of a learned society or professional organization.

A person, typically someone other than a family member, spouse or lover, whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.

A graduate student appointed to a position granting financial aid and providing for further study.

An associate who provides assistance.

A physician who enters a training program in a medical specialty after completing residency, usually in a hospital or academic setting.

A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted.

An incorporated senior member of certain colleges and universities.

A person who backs or supports something.

A member of the governing body of certain colleges and universities.

(informal) An object or idea that can be used for good.

(Archaic) A man or boy held in low regard.

Used as a form of address when warning someone.

Being of the same kind, group, occupation, society, or locality; having in common certain characteristics or interests

(object-oriented programming) A function or class granted special access to the private and protected members of another class.

A companion; a comrade.

(climbing) A spring-loaded camming device.

An animal which is a member of a breed or species, or a flock, herd, etc.

(euphemistic) A lover; a boyfriend or girlfriend.

An object which is associated with another object; especially, as part of a set.

A relative, a relation by blood or marriage.

A person or thing comparable in characteristics with another person or thing; especially, as belonging to the same class or group.

To act as a friend to, to befriend; to be friendly to, to help.

(chiefly in the negative) A person with abilities, achievements, skills, etc., equal to those of another person; a thing with characteristics, worth, etc., equal to those of another thing.

(transitive) To add (a person) to a list of friends on a social networking site; to officially designate (someone) as a friend.

One in the same condition, or situation of need, as another.

One who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society and welfare; a wellwisher; an intimate associate; sometimes, an attendant.

Often in the form Fellow: academic senses.

One not inimical or hostile; one not a foe or enemy; also, one of the same nation, party, kin, etc., whose friendly feelings may be assumed. The word is some times used as a term of friendly address.

Originally, one of a group of academics who make up a college or similar educational institution; now, a senior member of a college or similar educational institution involved in teaching, research, and management of the institution.

One who looks propitiously on a cause, an institution, a project, and the like; a favorer; a promoter; as, a friend to commerce, to poetry, to an institution.

An honorary title bestowed by a college or university upon a distinguished person (often an alumna or alumnus).

One of a religious sect characterized by disuse of outward rites and an ordained ministry, by simplicity of dress and speech, and esp. by opposition to war and a desire to live at peace with all men. They are popularly called Quakers.

A (senior) member of a learned or professional society.

A paramour of either sex.

A scholar appointed to a fellowship, that is, a paid academic position held for a certain period which usually requires the scholar to conduct research.

To act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend.

A physician undergoing a fellowship (supervised subspecialty medical training) after having completed a residency (specialty training program).

A person you know well and regard with affection and trust;

(US) A member of a college or university who manages its business interests.

An associate who provides assistance;

(US) A senior researcher or technician in a corporation, especially one engaged in research and development.

A person with whom you are acquainted;

(informal) A male person; a bloke, a chap, a guy, a man; also, preceded by a modifying word, sometimes with a sense of mild reproach: used as a familiar term of address to a man.

A person who backs a politician or a team etc.;

(rare) Usually qualified by an adjective or used in the plural: an individual or person regardless of gender.

A member of the Religious Society of Friends founded by George Fox (the Friends have never called themselves Quakers)

An animal or object.

(archaic)

One of a pair of things suited to each other or used together; a counterpart, a mate.

(Australian Aboriginal) fella

(obsolete)

A colleague or partner.

A close companion or friend; also, a companion or friend whom one eats or drinks with.

Followed by of: one who participates in an activity; a participant.

A man without good breeding or of lower social status; a common or ignoble man; also, used as a polite term of address to such a person.

A person's servant or slave.

(derogatory) A worthless person; a churl, a knave; also, used as a term of address to a person regarded as such.

Synonym of schoolmate

A black man.

(transitive)

(archaic) To address (someone) as "fellow", especially in an insulting manner (see noun sense 10.6).

To equal (someone or something); also, to cause or find someone or something to be equal to (some other person or thing).

(obsolete)

Followed by with: to associate or join with a person or thing in companionship or a partnership.

A companion; a comrade; an associate; a partner; a sharer.

A man without good breeding or worth; an ignoble or mean man.

An equal in power, rank, character, etc.

One of a pair, or of two things used together or suited to each other; a mate; the male.

A person; an individual.

In the English universities, a scholar who is appointed to a foundation called a fellowship, which gives a title to certain perquisites and privileges.

In an American college or university, a member of the corporation which manages its business interests; also, a graduate appointed to a fellowship, who receives the income of the foundation.

A member of a literary or scientific society; as, a Fellow of the Royal Society.

To suit with; to pair with; to match.

A boy or man;

A person who is frequently in the company of another;

A person who is member of your class or profession;

An informal form of address for a man;

A man who is the lover of a girl or young woman;