partner

I. part‧ner¹ S2 W2 AC /ˈpɑːtnə $ ˈpɑːrtnər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑partner, ↑partnership; verb: ↑partner]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: parcener 'heir sharing half', from Old French parçon 'share'; influenced by part]
1. MARRIAGE ETC one of two people who are married, or who live together and have a sexual relationship ⇨ husband, wife:
Discuss your worries with your partner.
Only 29% of lone parents receive financial support from their former partners.
a sexual partner
2. BUSINESS one of the owners of a business:
She’s a partner in a law firm.
The senior partner has retired. ⇨ ↑sleeping partner
3. DANCING/GAMES ETC someone you do a particular activity with, for example dancing or playing a game against two other people:
Clare’s my tennis partner.
Take your partners for the next dance.
4. COUNTRY/ORGANIZATION a country or organization that another country or organization has an agreement with:
Nigeria is our principal trading partner in Africa.
The group is a junior partner (=less important group) in the PLO’s governing coalition.
5. partners in crime two people who have planned and done something together, especially something that slightly annoys other people – used humorously
⇨ ↑sparring partner

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

partner

part·ner AW [partner partners partnered partnering] noun, verb [ˈpɑːtnə(r)] [ˈpɑːrtnər]

noun
1. the person that you are married to or having a sexual relationship with
• Come to the New Year disco and bring your partner!

• a marriage partner

2. one of the people who owns a business and shares the profits, etc
• a partner in a law firm

• a junior/senior partner

3. a person that you are doing an activity with, such as dancing or playing a game
• a dancing/tennis, etc. partner

see also sparring partner

4. a country or an organization that has an agreement with another country
• a trading partner
see also sleeping partner
Word Origin:
Middle English: alteration of parcener ‘partner, joint heir’, from Anglo-Norman French parcener, based on Latin partitio(n-) ‘partition’. The change in the first syllable was due to association with part.
Thesaurus:
partner noun
1. C
• Come to the New Year disco and bring your partner.
girlfriend • • boyfriend • • wife • • husband • • man • • fiancé/fiancée • |especially AmE date • |formal law spouse • |becoming old-fashioned sweetheart •
sb's new partner/girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/man
have a partner/girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/man/fiance/fiancee/spouse
find a partner/girlfriend/boyfriend/man
Which word? A partner is usually sb you live with but are not married to and suggests a more long-term relationship. Young people often prefer to use the words girlfriend/boyfriend. Partner can also refer to a husband or wife, especially if you do not know, or it is not important, if a couple is married or not. Partner is also used when you do not know or are not interested in what sex sb's partner is.
2. C
• He is a senior partner in a law firm.
• Choose a partner for the next activity.
colleague • • collaborator • • co-worker • • teammate • • contact • • ally • • associate • |especially BrE workmate •
a business partner/colleague/contact/ally
a junior/senior partner/colleague/associate
a close partner/colleague/collaborator/contact/ally/associate
Collocations:
Marriage and divorce
Romance
fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with sb)
be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
be/find true love/the love of your life
suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for sb/sth
meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have/go on a (blind) date
be going out with/ (especially NAmE) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
Weddings
get/be engaged/married/divorced
arrange/plan a wedding
have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
have/enter into an arranged marriage
call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
invite sb to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
Separation and divorce
be unfaithful to/ (informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have an affair (with sb)
break off/end an engagement/a relationship
break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend
separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife
annul/dissolve a marriage
apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband)
Example Bank:
• AOL remains the company's only online retail partner.
• All change partners for the next dance!
• Britain's partner in the aeronautic project
• France's principal trading partners
• He has recently been made a junior partner in the family business.
• He is a general partner in a consulting firm.
• He penned the script with his long-time writing partner.
• He was made a full partner in his father's firm.
• I need a doubles partner for the table tennis tournament.
• Local government workers have been refused pensions for their unmarried partners.
• Most of those questioned said they wanted a steady partner for emotional support.
• People who have had multiple partners are more at risk from sexually transmitted diseases.
• She and her husband became limited partners in the team's ownership.
• She was the dominant partner in the relationship.
• The government is technically a silent partner with almost no control over contractor spending.
• The old political sparring partners are now firm friends.
• The organization offers health benefits to the domestic partners of employees.
• The teacher asked the students to choose a partner for the next activity.
• They wanted to be seen as equal partners in the creative relationship.
• We are working with partner companies on wireless technologies.
• reasons for divorce such as having an abusive partner
• the choice of marriage partner
• Come to the New Year disco and bring your partner.
• My regular dancing partner has broken her ankle.

• This is my partner, Mark.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

partner / ˈpɑːt.nə r / / ˈpɑːrt.nɚ / noun [ C ]

a person or organization you are closely involved with in some way:

He gave up his job as a police officer after his partner was killed.

The two companies are partners in a contract to build a new power station.

B2 one of the owners of a company:

He's a partner in an insurance company/a law firm.

B1 the person you are married to or living with as if you were married to them, or the person you are having a sexual relationship with:

I've invited David and his partner over for dinner.

A2 one of a pair of dancers or one of a pair who are playing a sport or a game together, especially when the pair are playing as a team

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

partner

/pɑ:(r)tnə(r)/
(partners, partnering, partnered)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.
Your partner is the person you are married to or are having a romantic or sexual relationship with.
Wanting other friends doesn’t mean you don’t love your partner.
...his choice of marriage partner.
N-COUNT: oft poss N

2.
Your partner is the person you are doing something with, for example dancing with or playing with in a game against two other people.
My partner for the event was the marvellous American player.
...a partner in crime.
N-COUNT

3.
The partners in a firm or business are the people who share the ownership of it. (BUSINESS)
He’s a partner in a Chicago law firm.
N-COUNT

4.
The partner of a country or organization is another country or organization with which they work or do business.
Spain has been one of Cuba’s major trading partners.
N-COUNT: usu with supp

5.
If you partner someone, you are their partner in a game or in a dance.
He had partnered the famous Russian ballerina...
He will be partnered by Ian Baker, the defending champion...
He partnered Andre Agassi to victory.
VERB: V n, be V-ed by/with n, V n to n

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹part·ner /ˈpɑɚtnɚ/ noun, pl -ners [count]
1 : someone's husband or wife or the person someone has sexual relations with
• His partner, his wife of 20 years, was shocked to hear about his accident.
• marital/sexual/same-sex partners
- see also domestic partner
2 : one of two or more people, businesses, etc., that work together or do business together
• They are partners in the real estate business.
• law partners
• Singapore's most important trading partner is Indonesia.
• She was a senior partner at the Wall Street firm.
- see also silent partner partner in crime at crime
3 : someone who participates in an activity or game with another person
• We were each assigned a partner for the project.
• a golf/tennis/dance partner
- see also sparring partner