Consort

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒnsɔːt/

Definitions

1. A spouse or companion, especially of a reigning monarch, or to associate with someone regularly
2. A partner in marriage or companionship, particularly pertaining to royalty, as well as a person who frequently associates with another individual
3. A marital or romantic partner, especially for a royal figure, alongside the act of engaging in habitual companionship with others

Etymology: The word "consort" began as a Latin term for a shared fate. The Latin "consors" combined "con-" (together) with "sors" (lot, share), so a "consors" was someone who shared your lot or portion, a sibling or partner in a common situation. Latin speakers used it for people bound together by the same destiny, and the sense of companionship at its root has never fully left the word. It reached English through French, where the Middle French form carried the meaning "companion or partner." English first used it in that general sense, for a close companion or associate, before the royal sense took hold. The meaning narrowed over time until, today, a consort is almost always the spouse of a reigning monarch, such as a queen consort, while the monarch's partner in the highest rank is simply the sovereign. The verb has a different feel. To "consort with" someone is to keep company with them, often in a way that suggests disapproval, which preserves the older idea of sharing a life and a lot together.

Synonyms: partner, associate, companion, mate, ally

Antonyms: enemy, opponent, rival, adversary, antagonist