# group

/ˈɡɹup/ (US) · /ɡɹˈuːp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/group
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. general collection

noun · CEFR A1

a number of people or things that are together in the same place or share something in common.

For teachers: a collection of individuals or objects located, grouped, or classified together.

- A small group of students stood outside the classroom waiting for the teacher.
- The researchers divided the participants into a control group and an experimental group to test the efficacy of the new medication.

### 2. music band

noun · CEFR A2

a small number of people who play music or sing together.

For teachers: a musical ensemble, typically in popular music genres, consisting of several performers.

- Her favourite pop group is going on a world tour next summer.
- The indie group gained a massive following after their lead single went viral on several streaming platforms.

### 3. business organization

noun · CEFR B2

a large company that owns several smaller companies.

For teachers: a commercial organization comprising several companies or subsidiaries under a single parent entity.

- The hotel group owns over two hundred properties across Europe.
- Following the merger, the banking group restructured its international divisions to improve operational efficiency and reduce overhead costs.

### 4. chemistry column

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a vertical column of elements in the periodic table.

For teachers: a vertical column in the periodic table of chemical elements, where elements share similar electronic configurations.

- Elements in the same group often react in similar ways.
- The noble gases are located in group eighteen of the periodic table and are characterised by their lack of chemical reactivity.

### 5. mathematical set

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a set of numbers or objects that follow specific rules when you combine them.

For teachers: an algebraic structure consisting of a set equipped with an associative binary operation, an identity element, and inverse elements.

- In math class, we learned how to identify a symmetry group.
- The professor demonstrated that the set of integers under addition forms an abelian group because it satisfies the four fundamental axioms.

### 6. to categorize

verb · CEFR B1

to put people or things into sets based on how they are similar.

For teachers: to arrange or classify objects or individuals into categories based on shared attributes.

- The teacher asked us to group the words by their endings.
- The software allows users to group files by date, size, or file type for easier navigation and management.

### 7. to gather

verb · CEFR B1

to come together in one place.

For teachers: to assemble or gather in a specific location to form a cluster or unit.

- The fans started to group around the stadium entrance hours before the game.
- As the storm approached, the hikers began to group together under the rocky overhang for protection from the wind.

## Examples

- A small group of people is waiting outside the building.
- The teacher divided the students into a small group for the science project to encourage better collaboration.
- Sociologists often study how a primary group, such as a family, shapes an individual's identity differently than a secondary group like a professional association.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.