guild

noun

variants or less commonly
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 noun

Examples of guild in a Sentence

after his apprenticeship, he was able to join the stonemasons' guild
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Stunt men returned the favor: when the Chicago mob tried to muscle in on the guild, SAG president Robert Montgomery, who served from 1935 to 1938, stood firm against the gangsters. Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2025 The move comes the same day as members of animation, actor and writers guilds gathered at France’s Annecy Animation Film Festival to protest the use of the growing technology, which has many in the creative industries wary about what AI means for their creativity, skills and livelihoods. Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 12 June 2025 The studio has sat out the convention before, however, most recently in 2023 (due to the guild strikes) and 2021 and 2020 (due to the pandemic), as well as in 2018, 2015 and 2011, largely due to a lack of footage and/or news to share due to production schedules. Adam B. Vary, Variety, 30 May 2025 The guild, which formed in 2023, is a nonprofit organization aimed at protecting and advocating for creators and influencers. Manisha Krishnan, Wired News, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for guild

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of guild was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guild. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on guild

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!