guild

noun

variants or less commonly gild
1
: an association of people with similar interests or pursuits
especially : a medieval association of merchants or craftsmen
2
: a group of organisms that use the same ecological resource in a similar way
a feeding guild
guildship noun

Examples of guild in a Sentence

after his apprenticeship, he was able to join the stonemasons' guild
Recent Examples on the Web The film played to a packed room, with guild members and Academy voters staying long after credits had rolled to meet the filmmakers. Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 And guild officers said no materials had been leaked. David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 However, Hawes also wanted the U.K. industry to secure the kinds of protections the actors and writers guild in the United States achieved last summer during the dual strikes. Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024 Following the end of the actors’ guild strike in November, some members pushed back on the deal reached with major studios, saying its regulations around the use of AI and appropriate compensation of actors having their digital replicas used doesn’t go far enough. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Dawson also organized opera guilds in several major cities and was a fierce proponent of the arts, music, education and culture for all people. Adam Bell, Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024 The union also said Soon-Shiong unfairly sought to blame the guild for layoffs. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 Members of the actors and writers guilds have long used the unions for health insurance. Andrew Dalton, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, the guild’s immediate past presidents, also championed health insurance as a cause for the guild during their 2018-2022 tenure at the helm. William Earl, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guild.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gilde, from Old Norse gildi payment, guild; akin to Old English gield tribute, guild — more at geld

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guild was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near guild

Cite this Entry

“Guild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guild. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

guild

noun
variants also gild
ˈgild
: an association of persons with common interests or aims
especially : an association of merchants or craftsmen in the Middle Ages

More from Merriam-Webster on guild

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!