mateship

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"mateship" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mateship” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The post of mate on a ship; a posting as mate.

Key facts for mateship
PropertyValue
Headwordmateship
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mateship” sits in English frequency

mateship falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for mateship is 8 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mateship, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mate + -ship. Cognate with Dutch maatschap (“partnership”). The correct English form is mateship, spelled M-A-T-E-S-H-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    The post of mate on a ship; a posting as mate.
  2. 2
    A type of contract between ships to cooperate and share the proceeds of an expedition.
  3. 3
    Fellowship; companionship.
  4. 4
    Friendship, particularly between men, such as develops in shared adversity; solidarity.
  5. 5
    A relationship based on mating.

Etymology

From mate + -ship. Cognate with Dutch maatschap (“partnership”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mateship"?
"mateship" is spelled M-A-T-E-S-H-I-P.
What does "mateship" mean?
As a noun, "mateship" means: The post of mate on a ship; a posting as mate.
What is the origin of the word "mateship"?
From mate + -ship. Cognate with Dutch maatschap (“partnership”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “mateship”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-T-E-S-H-I-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list