a man is known by the company he keeps
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
People are similar in character to their friends.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Tính cách của một người thường tương tự như tính cách của bạn bè họ
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “a man is known by the company he keeps” mean?
People are similar in character to their friends.
Is “a man is known by the company he keeps” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.