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

Among the most successful directors of his generation, Nolan called being named president of the guild “one of the greatest honors of my career.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Now this seems completely unfair—for Times staff to suggest that Times leadership is being unethical when the union’s own unanswered requests for information clarify that the guild doesn’t yet have the full story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

Smith’s guild contracted with Team Liquid, an esports company, in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

His first call was to the head of the local butchers' guild.

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026

Velutha was fourteen when Johann Klein, a German carpenter from a carpenter’s guild in Bavaria, came to Kottayam and spent three years with the Christian Mission Society, conducting a workshop with local carpenters.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

“Through the work of OHP, the Academy has also become the primary preservation repository for filmmaker interviews from the guilds and other sources,” notes the organization’s website.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 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

"Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds," said Lyonne, who is currently working with "ethical AI" to create a feature film that stars real actors.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

The economic basis of Polynesian societies consisted of more or less self-sufficient households, but some islands also supported guilds of hereditary part-time craft specialists.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• federation