BACK TO gemeinschaft

gemeinschaft vs. gesellschaft

gemeinschaft

[ German guh-mahyn-shahft ]
noun,
  1. an association of individuals having sentiments, tastes, and attitudes in common; fellowship.
  2. a society or group characterized chiefly by a strong sense of common identity, close personal relationships, and an attachment to traditional and sentimental concerns.

gesellschaft

[ German guh-zel-shahft ]
noun,
  1. an association of individuals for common goals, as for entertainment, intellectual, or cultural purposes or for business reasons.
  2. a society or group characterized chiefly by formal organization, impersonal relations, the absence of generally held or binding norms, and a detachment from traditional and sentimental concerns, and often tending to be rationalistic and secular in outlook.