n.
Pronunciation: g ə - ' m ī n- ˌ shäft
Function: noun
Etymology: German, community, from gemein common, general (fr. Old High German gimeini ) + -schaft -ship ― more at MEAN
Date: 1937
: a spontaneously arising organic social relationship characterized by strong reciprocal bonds of sentiment and kinship within a common tradition also : a community or society characterized by this relationship ― compare GESELLSCHAFT