consortium

Language: en

🇬🇧 /kəˈnsɔːtɪəm/ 🇺🇸 /kəˈnsɔrʃiːəm/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    An association or group of companies, organizations, or individuals that have joined together for a common purpose, typically to undertake a project or share resources that would be too large or complex for any single member to handle alone.; A group of academic or research institutions that collaborate on shared projects, share resources, or establish common standards.; In law, the right of association or companionship between spouses, especially the right to the company, affection, and sexual relations of one's husband or wife.; In microbiology, a group of different microorganisms that live together in a symbiotic or cooperative relationship, often performing metabolic functions collectively that no single species could accomplish alone.; In Roman law, a partnership or joint ownership arrangement, particularly the original form of partnership among co-heirs who held property in common after the death of the paterfamilias.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: consortia, consortiums

Collocations

form a consortiumbanking consortiumconsortium of companiesinternational consortiumjoin a consortiumconsortium agreement

Derivatives

consortconsortial

Synonyms

allianceassociationcoalitionsyndicatepartnershipconglomerate

Commonly confused

conglomerate
EN: 'Conglomerate' refers to a large corporation made up of diverse, often unrelated businesses; 'consortium' is a cooperative association of independent entities working toward a shared goal.
consort
EN: 'Consort' refers to a spouse or partner (especially of a monarch) or the act of associating; 'consortium' is a formal group or association of organizations.

Spelling tips

EN: The Latin plural 'consortia' is preferred in formal and academic writing, while 'consortiums' is also acceptable in general usage. Do not confuse the spelling with 'consorcium' (a common error influenced by Romance languages).

💬 Examples

  1. A consortium of international banks was formed to finance the construction of the new bridge.

  2. The university joined a consortium of research institutions to share access to expensive laboratory equipment.

  3. The plaintiff filed a claim for loss of consortium after her husband was permanently injured in the accident.

  4. The bacterial consortium in the bioreactor efficiently degraded the complex organic pollutants.

  5. Under early Roman law, the consortium among brothers arose automatically upon the father's death without any formal agreement.