collaborator

col·lab·or·a·tor
C3O1L1L1A1B3O1R1A1T1O1R1
US/kəˈlæbəɹeɪtɚ/UK/kəˈlæbəɹeɪtə/

noun

A person who works with others towards a common goal.

Similar
team playerturncoatcollaborationistcollaboratresscollaboratrixjackalquislerquisling
OriginFrench collaborateur ← Latin collabōrō ← Old Latin labōs →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nouncollaborator (plural collaborators)

plural collaborators · alternative dated collaborateur

  1. A person who works with others towards a common goal.

    Synonyms: team player

  2. A person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy.

    Synonyms: turncoat, collaborationist

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA person who works with others towards a common goal.

Similar
team player

nounA person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy.

Similar
turncoatcollaborationist
Similar
collaboratresscollaboratrixjackalquislerquisling
Broader
betrayer
Narrower
defector-in-place

More synonyms by meaning

nounsomeone who assists in a plot

Similar
confederatepartner in crime
Broader
accessoryaccessary

nounsomeone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force

Similar
collaborationistquisling
Broader
traitortreasonist

nounan associate in an activity or endeavor or sphere of common interest

Similar
cooperatorpartnerpardner
Broader
associate
Also see
adjunctassociatecollaborationistcollaboratresscollaboratrixconfederatecooperatorcoworkerfellowjackalpardnerpartnerpartner in crimequislingworkmate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Latincon-
  6. Old Latinlabōs
  7. Latinlabor
  8. Latinlabōrō
  9. Latincollabōrō
  10. Frenchcollaborer
  11. Frenchcollaborateur
  12. Englishcollaborator

Borrowed from French collaborateur.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian сътру́дник, сътру́дница
  • сътру́дник (sătrúdnik)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • сътру́дница (sătrúdnica)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • колаборациони́ст (kolaboracioníst)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • колаборациони́стка (kolaboracionístka)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Catalan col·laborador
  • col·laboradorperson who works with others towards a common goal
Chinese Mandarin 合作者, 通敵者 /通敌者
  • 合作者 (hézuòzhě)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • 通敵者 /通敌者 (tōngdízhě)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • 合作者 (hézuòzhě)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Czech spolupracovník, kolaborant
  • spolupracovníkperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • kolaborantperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • kolaborantkaperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Dutch medewerker, medewerkster
  • medewerkerperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • medewerksterperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • collaborateurperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Esperanto kunlaboranto
  • kunlaborantoperson who works with others towards a common goal
Finnish kumppani, yhteistyökumppani
  • kumppaniperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • yhteistyökumppaniperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • kätyriperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • kollaboraattoriperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
French collaborateur, collaboratrice
  • collaborateurperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • collaboratriceperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • collaborateurperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • collaboratriceperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
German Mitarbeiter, Mitarbeiterin
  • Mitarbeiterperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • Mitarbeiterinperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • Kollaborateurperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • Kollaborateurinperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Hungarian közreműködő, kollaboráns
  • közreműködőperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • kollaboránsperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Icelandic samstarfsmaður
  • samstarfsmaðurperson who works with others towards a common goal
Indonesian kolaborator
  • kolaboratorperson who works with others towards a common goal
Italian collaboratore, collaborazionista
  • collaboratoreperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • collaborazionistaperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Japanese 合作者, 協力者
  • 合作者 (gassakusha)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • 協力者 (kyōryōkusha)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Korean 합작자, 협력자
  • 합작자 (hapjakja)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • 협력자 (hyeomnyeokja)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Māori hoa mahitahi
  • hoa mahitahiperson who works with others towards a common goal
Polish współpracownik, współpracowniczka
  • współpracownikperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • współpracowniczkaperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • kolaborantperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • kolaborantkaperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • zdrajcaperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • zdrajczyniperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Portuguese colaborador
  • colaboradorperson who works with others towards a common goal
Russian сотру́дник, сотру́дница
  • сотру́дник (sotrúdnik)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • сотру́дница (sotrúdnica)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • коллаборациони́ст (kollaboracioníst)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • коллаборациони́стка (kollaboracionístka)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • коллабора́нт (kollaboránt)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • коллабора́нтка (kollaborántka)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Slovak kolaborant, kolaborantka
  • kolaborantperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • kolaborantkaperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Spanish colaborador, colaboracionista
  • colaboradorperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • colaboracionistaperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Swedish samarbetspartner, medarbetare
  • samarbetspartnerperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • medarbetareperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • kollaboratörperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • quislingperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • femtekolonnareperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • medlöpareperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • samarbetsmanperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Ukrainian співробітни́к, співробітни́ця
  • співробітни́к (spivrobitnýk)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • співробітни́ця (spivrobitnýcja)person who works with others towards a common goal
  • колабораціоні́ст (kolaboracioníst)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • колабораціоні́стка (kolaboracionístka)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • колабора́нт (kolaboránt)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
  • колабора́нтка (kolaborántka)person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Vietnamese cộng tác viên, cộng tác viên
  • cộng tác viênperson who works with others towards a common goal
  • cộng tác viênperson who cooperates traitorously with an enemy
Cite this entry
APA

collaborator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collaborator

MLA

“collaborator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collaborator. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “collaborator,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collaborator.

Source: collaborator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.