guild

American  

[gild] / gɪld /

Or gild

noun

• guilds
  plural

1. an organization of persons with related interests, goals, etc., especially one formed for mutual aid or protection.

2. any of various medieval associations, as of merchants or artisans, organized to maintain standards and to protect the interests of its members, and that sometimes constituted a local governing body.

3. Botany. a group of plants, as parasites, having a similar habit of growth and nutrition.

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guild British  

/ ɡɪld /

noun

1. an organization, club, or fellowship

2. (esp in medieval Europe) an association of men sharing the same interests, such as merchants or artisans: formed for mutual aid and protection and to maintain craft standards or pursue some other purpose such as communal worship

3. ecology a group of plants, such as a group of epiphytes, that share certain habits or characteristics

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• guilds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of guild

before 1000; Middle English gild ( e ) < Old Norse gildi guild, payment; replacing Old English gegyld guild; akin to German Geld money, Gothic -gild tax

Explanation

Another word for a club, group, or society is guild, meaning a group of people who have joined together in pursuit of a common interest. Many fraternal and theatrical organizations still maintain buildings called guild halls for meetings and activities. The earliest guilds were for religious purposes as burial societies and offering financial support. In the later Middle Ages, they became organizations to support various trades and crafts. As the forerunners of modern unions, they provided support for their members and were charged with assuring quality in each member's products. The word guild comes originally from the Scandinavian, with roots that mean "payment of tribute," similar to the German gelt ("money"), possibly to reflect the dues paid by members.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guild guilds

The guild said it was forced to settle its own lawsuit because, as a non-profit, it could not afford to fight the merger alone without government support.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Her wonders of needle and thread, pliers and glue, 3-D printing and biotechnology are born in an Amsterdam studio, something between a cutting-edge lab and a medieval guild.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

“As someone who volunteers with a guild, we aren’t just there to sit around and look pretty. Come talk to us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

“It was very personal for us, so we made it personal for them,” said Andrew Goldstein, a Post-Gazette reporter and president of the guild.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

The wagon, too, stood forlorn on the flagstones, several feet from the newest member of the art guild.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

AUTOR: Many professions—such as law and academia—have guilds that are very resistant to change.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Its roots lie in the medieval stonemasons' guilds, and members still meet in "lodges" to carry out secretive initiation rituals and ceremonies.

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026

Its roots lie in the medieval stonemasons' guilds, and members still meet in "lodges" to carry out secretive initiation rituals and ceremonies based on allegories such as the building of King Solomon's Temple.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

Then again, picking “1917” seemed like the safe bet, as it had won the top prizes from the producers and directors guilds ... just like “Anora” has done this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025

There were wealthy tradesmen, wearing the emblems of their guilds on their finely woven, rain-soaked sleeves.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

Related Words

• federation