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Webster 1913 Edition

Friendship

Friend′ship

,
Noun.
[AS.
freóndscipe
. See
Friend
, and
-ship
.]
1.
The state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good will.
There is little
friendship
in the world.
Bacon.
There can be no
friendship
without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.
Rambler.
Preferred by
friendship
, and not chosen by sufficiency.
Spenser.
2.
Kindly aid; help; assistance,
[Obs.]
Some
friendship
will it [a hovel] lend you gainst the tempest.
Shakespeare
3.
Aptness to unite; conformity; affinity; harmony; correspondence.
[Obs.]
Those colors . . . have a
friendship
with each other.
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition

Friendship

FRIEND'SHIP

,
Noun.
frend'ship.
1.
An attachment to a person, proceeding from intimate acquaintance, and a reciprocation of kind offices, or from a favorable opinion of the amiable and respectable qualities of his mind. Friendship differs from benevolence, which is good will to mankind in general, and from that love which springs from animal appetite. True friendship is a noble and virtuous attachment, springing from a pure source, a respect for worth or amiable qualities. False friendship may subsist between bad men, as between thieves and pirates. This is a temporary attachment springing from interest, and may change in a moment to enmity and rancor.
There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.
There is little friendship in the world.
The first law of friendship is sincerity.
2.
Mutual attachment; intimacy.
If not in friendship, live at least in peace.
3.
Favor; personal kindness.
His friendships, still a few confined, were always of the middling kind.
4.
Friendly aid; help; assistance.
5.
Conformity; affinity; correspondence; aptness to unite.
We know those colors which have a friendship with each other.
[Not common and hardly legitimate.]

Definition 2024

friendship

friendship

English

Noun

friendship ‎(countable and uncountable, plural friendships)

  1. (uncountable) The condition of being friends.
  2. (countable) A friendly relationship, or a relationship as friends.
  3. (uncountable) Good will.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Etymology

From Middle English frendshipe, frendschip, freondschipe, from Old English frēondscipe ‎(“friendship”), equivalent to friend +‎ -ship. Cognate with Scots freindschip ‎(“friendship”), West Frisian freonskip ‎(“friendship”), Saterland Frisian Früündskup, Fjundskup ‎(“friendship”), Dutch vriendschap ‎(“friendship”), German Low German Fründschap ‎(“friendship”), German Freundschaft ‎(“friendship”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfɹɛndʃɪp/

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