guild
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
an organization of people in the same craft or trade, especially in the Middle Ages, who helped each other and set standards.
an association of artisans or merchants who control the practice of their craft in a particular town. Historically, these groups provided mutual aid and regulated quality and prices.
Simple“In the 14th century, the weavers' guild controlled the price and quality of cloth in the city.”
In context“Membership in the merchant guild was mandatory for anyone wishing to trade within the city walls during the late medieval period.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a group of players in an online game who play together regularly and help each other.
an organized collective of players in a multiplayer online game who cooperate to achieve shared objectives or share resources.
Simple“I joined a powerful guild to help me finish the most difficult levels of the game.”
In context“The guild leader coordinated a massive raid involving forty players, requiring precise timing and communication over voice chat.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a group of different animals or plants that live in the same way or use the same food.
a group of species that exploit the same class of environmental resources in a similar way. This classification is based on functional roles rather than taxonomic relationships.
Simple“Birds that eat nectar from flowers belong to the same ecological guild.”
In context“The study examined the foraging guild of insectivorous bats to determine how habitat loss affected their collective hunting patterns.”
Synonymsfunctional group - 04 C1 Advanced
a modern group of people with the same job, like actors or writers, who protect their rights.
a modern professional association or union, often used in the arts and media sectors to negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
Simple“The Screen Actors Guild negotiated a new contract for better pay and working conditions.”
In context“The writers' guild called for a strike after negotiations with the major studios failed to address concerns regarding digital royalties.”
Synonyms
“Attiah was backed by the union that represents most Post employees, the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, and Democracy Defenders Fund, a legal advocacy group co-founded by Norm Eisen.”
“As part of our investigation, we classified understory birds into guilds based on their main foraging strategies.”