collegium

noun

col·​le·​gi·​um kə-ˈle-gē-əm  -ˈlā- 

plural collegia kə-ˈle-gē-ə 

-ˈlā-

or collegiums

: a group in which each member has approximately equal power and authority

Did you know?

English contains many words that were borrowed from Latin, either directly or often by way of French, which began to influence the development of English after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Collegium is borrowed from Latin as well, but its journey into the English language made an unusual stop at Russian, a Slavic language. Russian borrowed the Latin collegium ("society") as kollegiya, a word used for an advisory board or committee whose members share power. Kollegiya entered the English language in 1917, and with gradual modifications it was eventually restored to its original Latin spelling.

Examples of collegium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That year, through an act of Parliament, the government set up the National Judicial Appointments Commission, a mechanism for granting the executive significant powers in the appointment of judges, with the ultimate aim of ending the collegium system. —Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2024

During this long legal tussle, the collegium that first recommended Kirpal for promotion in October 2017 stood by him. —Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2023

The season will continue the collegium’s exploration of popular works. —Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

modification of Russian kollegiya, from Latin collegium

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

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