Fellow workers or associates in a profession or business; people with whom one works cooperatively.
From Latin 'collega' meaning partner in office, from 'com-' (together) and 'legare' (to choose, delegate). Originally referred to Roman officials chosen together to share governmental duties.
Unlike 'coworkers' who simply work in the same place, 'colleagues' implies mutual respect and shared professional purpose - the word carries the ancient Roman sense of being deliberately chosen to work together. Academic and professional fields preserve this distinction, treating colleagues as intellectual peers.
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