guild

guild — noun

1. An organized group of people who share the same profession, craft, or interest,

1.nounB2
Definition

An organized group of people who share the same profession, craft, or interest, formed to support its members and promote their shared goals.

Example

The local guild of potters holds a market every Saturday at the town square.

collocation: guild of + profession

Daichi joined the writers' guild to meet other authors and get feedback on his novels.

collocation: join + guild

Common collocations
  • guild of potters / weavers / writers
  • join a guild
  • guild member
  • guild meeting
  • guild hall
Synonyms
  • association

    More general and formal; used for any organized group with a shared purpose, not necessarily a craft or trade

  • society

    Often implies a scholarly or cultural focus; e.g. 'the historical society'

  • union

    Focuses specifically on workers' rights, pay, and working conditions through collective bargaining

  • league

    Typically used for sports teams or competitive groups; less common for professional/trade groups

Grammar Patterns

guild of + profession / interest

Usage Note

This sense covers both traditional craft associations and modern professional or interest-based groups. Many well-known industry bodies use "guild" in their name (e.g. Screen Actors Guild, Writers' Guild of America). In online gaming, "guild" refers to a team of players who cooperate regularly.

Common Mistakes

The nurses' guild protested for better pay.
The nurses' union protested for better pay.
A 'union' focuses on labour rights and collective bargaining; a 'guild' is more about professional development and community.

Word family

  • guildhall
    nounC1
  • guildsman
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe organized groups, but they differ in focus. 'Association' is the broadest term — any group of people who share a purpose (e.g. 'a homeowners' association'). 'Society' leans toward learned or cultural bodies, such as 'the Royal Society' or 'a gardening society'. 'Union' is reserved for labour organizations that negotiate wages and working conditions ('a teachers' union') — it has a stronger political and collective-bargaining function than 'guild'. 'League' suggests competition, most often in sports ('a football league') or competitive rankings, making it a poor fit for professional or craft contexts. If the group's main purpose is supporting members in a shared craft or trade and advancing the standards of that field, 'guild' is the most precise choice: 'the weavers' guild' sounds natural, whereas 'the weavers' league' would sound odd.

association ↗society ↗union ↗league ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • join a guild
  • form a guild
  • guild membership

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'guild' comes from Old English 'gield' (later 'gild'), meaning 'payment' or 'tribute'. In medieval Europe, craftspeople and merchants formed guilds by paying membership fees in exchange for mutual protection, training for apprentices, and regulation of trade standards. The modern spelling 'guild' with a 'u' appeared around the 1600s, influenced by Middle Dutch 'gilde'.