longtime companion
Years-together ally
Longtime companion is a phrase once commonly used to refer to someone's romantic partner—especially a same-sex partner—without explicitly naming the relationship.
It appeared frequently in obituaries and news reports during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s: He is survived by his longtime companion.
The phrase allowed acknowledgment while maintaining a degree of discretion.
As social attitudes shifted, more direct terms like partner and husband became standard.
- matePartner or companion
- better halfEndearing term for partner
- partnerOne who shares activity
- spouseMarried partner
- friendNon-kin mutual bond
significant other · in sickness and health · through thick and thin · consort · comfort · dog · confidant · by your side · side by side · cat · widow · loyalty · decades · growing old together · domestic partner · mainstay · lover · old friend
longtime companionnew friend
Recently acquired companion
stranger · casual acquaintance · newcomer · fresh face · new arrival
longtime companionstranger
Person not yet known
complete stranger · casual acquaintance · enemy · nodding acquaintance · rival
longtime companionone-night stand
Casual sexual encounter
fling · summer romance · passing fancy · fair-weather friend · ships passing in the night
longer, longest, longing, longingly, length, lengthen, lengthy, prolong, prolonged