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Is it correct to use the word "roommate" to say the person who shares the same office room?

People around me says that the word "roommate" is used when to say the person who shares the same living room like an apartment. If I look at the definition from merriam-webster, it says that "Define roommate: one of two or more persons sharing the same room or living quarters". If the "room" in this definition is not limited to living room, I think I can use the word "roommate" to say the person who shares the same office room.

Office room here is small room that can accommodate 3 or 4 persons.

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In American English, at least, it would be inappropriate to use "roommates" to describe people who work in the same office, even if they share a room within the office. "Roommate" is exclusively used for living quarters, not workspaces. A more appropriate choice would be "office mate" or "officemate." The term "coworker" would also be appropriate, and is probably used even more commonly; but its meaning is broader, as it usually includes people who work for the same company but not necessarily within the same office.

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In AE, roommate is ONLY someone with whom you share a living space (house, apartment) and live. It NEVER has to do with work or an office.

Someone you work with would be coworker, less frequently colleague. "office mate" sounds more "commwealthy".

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  • "Office mate" is certainly used in the US. Try searching the New York Times, Washington Post, or People.com (People magazine) for that term. "Colleague" is another fair choice, but it does not carry the same implication of working within the same workspace as "office mate" does. Two professors whose work involves the same subject but who work hundreds of miles apart are "colleagues"; they would only be "office mates" if they worked in the same office. In addition, "colleague" is less commonly used by workers in lower social classes, unlike "coworker."
    – Shosht
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 6:42

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