Your Literary Life Hacker cringes whenever she sees the word “comradery,” and not because she’s old enough to remember the Soviet Union and the Cold War.
“Comradery” is a real word that describes the friendship and connection experienced among people who spend a lot of time together. So why the cringe?
The more commonly used word is “camaraderie,” from the French “camarade,” meaning roommate or companion. (Fun fact: Both “camaraderie” and “comrade” come from the same Latin root: “camera,”
which means “chamber.”) To someone accustomed to “camaraderie,” the spelling “comradery” just looks incorrect – even though it isn’t.
Be smart, Comrade, and avoid “comradery.” That way you will never be mistaken for someone who can’t spell “camaraderie.”