A colleague is a person who works with you, especially in a professional job. They are typically associates or coworkers in a profession or in a civil or ecclesiastical office and often of similar rank or status. Colleagues are usually people at the same level or rank as you are, and they can have different ranks, job specializations, and specific roles within a company or a profession. The term "colleague" is often used interchangeably with "coworker". For example, when you are a teacher, the other teachers are your colleagues, and when you work as a cashier at 7-11, the guy at the deli counter is your colleague as well.