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 670-seat Bruin is less than half the size of the Village across the street, which was taken over by Jason Reitman and his consortium of filmmakers and is now operating as Director’s Village before a renovation planned for the fall. — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 29 July 2026

This strategic move counters the growing threat from stablecoins, which have seen significant adoption and formed their own consortium, Open USD, launching in 2026. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

The programme brings together a broad international consortium from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026

But Paramount is battling a pair of lawsuits filed by a consortium of 12 states and from the Writers Guild of America, which represents many entertainment professionals who work in Hollywood. — Clare Lombardo, NPR, 24 July 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