guild

noun \ ˈgild \

variants: or less commonly gild

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Definition of guild

1 : an association of people with similar interests or pursuits; especially : a medieval association of merchants or craftsmen

2 : a group of organisms that use the same ecological resource in a similar way

a feeding guild

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guildship

play \ˈgil(d)-ˌship\ noun

See guild defined for English-language learners

See guild defined for kids

Examples of guild in a Sentence

after his apprenticeship, he was able to join the stonemasons' guild

Recent Examples of guild from the Web

The guild is the union that represents journalists in the newsrooms of the Freep, the Detroit News and other publications around town.

— john gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Why unions will survive Supreme Court anti-labor decision," 27 June 2018
The donation comes close to paying off the guild’s $500,000 pledge to the Cusumano Family Neuroscience Outpatient Center, McArdle said.

— joyce rudolph, latimes.com, "Community: Guild announces new leaders and financial pledge during tea," 19 June 2018
Masonic origins date back to the guilds of stonemasons who built castles and cathedrals during the middle ages.

— community report, Houston Chronicle, "Liberty Masons hosting open house May 12," 6 May 2018
He's put a lot of writers in the guild and talent on the screen.

— marc freeman, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Laugh-In' at 50: How the Comedy Helped Elect Nixon and Set the Stage for 'SNL'," 22 Jan. 2018
Which is more valuable, spending our days making telemarketing calls or joining a World of Warcraft guild?

— livia gershon, Longreads, "Clocking Out," 11 July 2018
Our guild is a group of women practicing the traditional art of rug hooking.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Calendar: Summer Arts Festival this weekend in Lake Bluff," 11 June 2018
But by 1700 Mexico, also called New Spain, had its own fully developed art industry, replete with guilds and academies, family dynasties and professional rivalries.

— holland cotter, New York Times, "‘Painted in Mexico’: When a New Art Flourished Far From Mother Spain," 10 May 2018
The crowds oooh and aaah, shouting the names of historic pyrotechnic guilds like Kagiya and Tamaya to express their appreciation.

— laura mallonee, WIRED, "'Fire Flowers' Dazzle in Gorgeous Photos of Japanese Fireworks," 4 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'guild.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of guild

Middle English gilde, from Old Norse gildi payment, guild; akin to Old English gield tribute, guild — more at geld

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

guild Synonyms

Synonyms

association, board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, institute, institution, league, order, organization, society, sodality;

alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership;

body, cadre, group;

circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, lot, set;

crew, outfit, party, squad, team;

branch, chapter, local;

faithful, fold, membership;

sisterhood, sorority;

cabal, confederacy, conspiracy;

band, gang, ring;

cartel, combine, syndicate;

GUILD Defined for English Language Learners

guild

noun

Definition of guild for English Language Learners

: an organized group of people who have joined together because they share the same job or interest; especially : an association of people who made or sold goods in the Middle Ages