consortium

noun

con·​sor·​tium kən-ˈsȯr-sh(ē-)əm 

-ˈsȯr-tē-əm

plural consortia kən-ˈsȯr-sh(ē-)ə 

-ˈsȯr-tē-ə

also consortiums

1

: an agreement, combination, or group (as of companies) formed to undertake an enterprise beyond the resources of any one member

A consortium of researchers decoded the honeybee genome.

2

: association, society

3

: the legal right of one spouse to the company, affection, and assistance of and to sexual relations with the other

Synonyms

• organization
• institute
• association
• institution
• society
• chamber
• fraternity
• council
• group
• board

Examples of consortium in a Sentence

A Japanese consortium invested millions in the technology.

a consortium for the prevention of animal cruelty

Recent Examples on the Web

Exxon’s Guyana Annual Report for 2024 notes that the three consortium partners have made cumulative investments in Guyana totaling $55 billion. —David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

The Defense Department is spending more than $58 million to help fund a consortium that's developing Doctor's synthetic blood, along with other components that enable clotting and maintain blood pressure. —Rob Stein, NPR, 24 July 2025

This surpassed the prior record holder—the $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics to a consortium led by private equity executive William Chisholm—which was also clinched earlier this year. —Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 18 July 2025

The calculus is trickier in the WNBA, as their governors own only 42% of the league; the NBA holds another 42% of the league and the remaining 16% belongs to a 2022 investment consortium. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, fellowship, from consort-, consors — see consort entry 1

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

consortium

noun

con·​sor·​tium kən-ˈsȯr-shəm; -shē-əm 

plural consortia -shə, -shē-ə  also consortiums

1

: an agreement, combination, or group (as of companies) formed to undertake an enterprise beyond the resources of any one member

2

[Medieval Latin, marital partnership, from Latin] : the right of one spouse to the company, affection, and assistance of and to sexual relations with the other

also : the right of a parent or child to the company, affection, and assistance of the other

suing for loss of consortium

compare society

Etymology

Latin, sharing, partnership, from consort-, consors sharer, partner