guild

noun

ˈgild 

variants or less commonly gild

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

guildship

ˈgil(d)-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms of guild

• organization
• association
• institution
• society
• institute
• fraternity
• chamber
• brotherhood

Examples of guild in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The deal faces potential challenges from regulators and Hollywood guilds over antitrust concerns. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 6 Dec. 2025

What if the upcoming guild negotiations led to another strike? —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Dec. 2025

Fallout will be on people’s minds this winter TV awards season, which spans the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and various guild awards, as Season 2 of the Prime Video series will be releasing new episodes through most of it. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025

Still, the post-reform Globes voting body remains relatively small, especially compared to the Oscars, which draw from several guilds’ worth of Hollywood workers. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing guild

• guild socialism

Rhymes for guild

• billed
• build
• chilled
• drilled
• filled
• frilled
• gild
• grilled
• killed
• milled
• rilled
• shrilled

Kids Definition

guild

noun

variants also gild

ˈgild

: an association of persons with common interests or aims

especially : an association of merchants or craftsmen in the Middle Ages