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 of consortium

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

The global commodity trader Vitol is backing a consortium that wants to build the power station and import facility, Reuters reported. —Semafor Staff, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026

Her cameras did interior shots at the nearby Paranal Observatory run by a consortium of European astronomers at around 2,635 meters above sea level. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026

White already has a history with Bidarian, who was the UFC’s chief financial officer, overseeing major fighter agreements, including Rousey and Conor McGregor, before playing a central role in its $4billion sale to the Endeavor consortium in 2016. —Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026

The consortium is led by Macquarie Asset Management and includes UniSuper and Pontegadea, the investment firm of Spanish billionaire and Zara founder Amancio Ortega. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026

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