gemeinschaft

[ German guh-mahyn-shahft ]

noun,plural ge·mein·schaf·ten

[German guh-mahyn-shahf-tuhn]. /German gəˈmaɪnˌʃɑf tən/. (often initial capital letter)

an association of individuals having sentiments, tastes, and attitudes in common; fellowship.
Sociology. a society or group characterized chiefly by a strong sense of common identity, close personal relationships, and an attachment to traditional and sentimental concerns.

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Origin of gemeinschaft

1935–40; <German: community, equivalent to gemein common + -schaft-ship

Compare gesellschaft.

Words Nearby gemeinschaft

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gemeinschaft in a sentence

For lack of a more suitable English equivalent I have translated gemeinschaft as communion.
A Commentary to Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason' | Norman Kemp Smith
They went by the name of the gemeinschaft der Heiligen, and the fervours of the community were at least those of genuine votaries.
The Youth of Goethe | Peter Hume Brown

British Dictionary definitions for gemeinschaft

gemeinschaft

/ (German ɡəˈmainʃaft) /

nounplural -schaften (German -ʃaftən)

(often capital) a social group united by common beliefs, family ties, etc: Compare gesellschaft

Origin of gemeinschaft

German, literally: community

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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