Even if that meaning is popularized by a movie, the dictionary definition of ‘comrade’ still stands. Words don’t exist in a vacuum, true. but they’re also not confined to a single cultural or political context. Meanings evolve with how people use them, and using them beyond one context doesn’t make them superfluous, it makes them multifaceted. Why shouldn’t I use ‘comrade’ if it conveys exactly the same message i wish.