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

Mauro Bergozza, president of Simac Tanning Tech, Italy’s consortium for machinery and technology for the footwear, leather goods and tanning industries, underscored the importance of collaboration. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025

In an example cited in the report, Huawei sold its smartphone brand Honor to a consortium that included the Chinese government in 2020, after it was added to the entity list. —John Liu, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

Wind speeds on Mars are high enough to blow fleets of large spherical rovers that resemble tumbleweed across the Red Planet's surface, according to new wind-tunnel tests of small prototypes conducted by an international consortium of young scientists. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025

Since January, Black Mountain, an energy consortium, has successfully petitioned the city to rezone more than 300 acres for light industrial use near the Forest Hill and Everman borders. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 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