group

[ groop ]

noun

1. any collection or assemblage of persons or things; cluster; aggregation:

   a group of protesters; a remarkable group of paintings.

2. a number of persons or things ranged or considered together as being related in some way.
3. Also called radical. Chemistry. two or more atoms specifically arranged, as the hydroxyl group, –OH. Compare free radical.
4. Linguistics.
   1. (in the classification of related languages within a family) a category of a lower order than a subbranch and of a higher order than a subgroup:

      the Low German group of West Germanic languages.

   2. any grouping of languages, whether it is made on the basis of geography, genetic relationship, or something else.
5. Geology. a division of stratified rocks comprising two or more formations.
6. Military.
   1. Army. a flexible administrative and tactical unit consisting of two or more battalions and a headquarters.
   2. Air Force. an administrative and operational unit subordinate to a wing, usually composed of two or more squadrons.
7. Music. a section of an orchestra comprising the instruments of the same class.
8. Art. a number of figures or objects shown in an arrangement together.
9. Mathematics. an algebraic system that is closed under an associative operation, as multiplication or addition, and in which there is an identity element that, on operating on another element, leaves the second element unchanged, and in which each element has corresponding to it a unique element that, on operating on the first, results in the identity element.
10. Grammar (chiefly British). a phrase:

    nominal group; verbal group.

verb (used with object)

1. to place or associate together in a group, as with others.
2. to arrange in or form into a group or groups.

   Synonyms: combine, classify, organize, order

verb (used without object)

1. to form a group.
2. to be part of a group.

group

/ ɡruːp /

noun

1. a number of persons or things considered as a collective unit
2. 1. a number of persons bound together by common social standards, interests, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      group behaviour

3. a small band of players or singers, esp of pop music
4. a number of animals or plants considered as a unit because of common characteristics, habits, etc
5. grammar another word, esp in systemic grammar, for phrase
6. an association of companies under a single ownership and control, consisting of a holding company, subsidiary companies, and sometimes associated companies
7. two or more figures or objects forming a design or unit in a design, in a painting or sculpture
8. a military formation comprising complementary arms and services, usually for a purpose

   a brigade group

9. an air force organization of higher level than a squadron
10. Also calledradical chem two or more atoms that are bound together in a molecule and behave as a single unit Compare free radical

    a methyl group -CH3

11. a vertical column of elements in the periodic table that all have similar electronic structures, properties, and valencies Compare period
12. geology any stratigraphical unit, esp the unit for two or more formations
13. maths a set that has an associated operation that combines any two members of the set to give another member and that also contains an identity element and an inverse for each element
14. See blood group

verb

1. to arrange or place (things, people, etc) in or into a group or (of things, etc) to form into a group

group

/ gro̅o̅p /

1. Chemistry.
   1. Two or more atoms that are bound together and act as a unit in a number of chemical compounds, such as a hydroxyl (OH) group.
   2. In the Periodic Table, a vertical column that contains elements having the same number of electrons in the outermost shell of their atoms. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties.
2. Mathematics.
   A set with an operation whose domain is all ordered pairs of members of the set, such that the operation is binary (operates on two elements) and associative, the set contains the identity element of the operation, and each element of the set has an inverse element for the operation. The positive and negative integers and zero form a set that is a group under the operation of ordinary addition, since zero is the identity element of addition and the negative of each integer is its inverse. Groups are used extensively in quantum physics and chemistry to model phenomena involving symmetry and invariance.

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Other Words From

• groupwise adverb
• super·group noun
• un·grouped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of group¹

First recorded in 1665–75; from French groupe, from Italian gruppo, ultimately from Germanic

Word History and Origins

Origin of group¹

C17: from French groupe, of Germanic origin; compare Italian gruppo; see crop

Example Sentences

Stringfellow said she invited DWP to participate in the event and requested access for a group to visit the Alabama Gates facility.

From Los Angeles Times

The boys were stabbed to death by a group of teenagers with machetes, with blades 42cm long.

From BBC

A group of teenagers and a man have been found guilty of murdering two best friends in a case of mistaken identity.

From BBC

Athletes will compete in two events in each three-day competition and must run in all four meets, with the top performer in each group winning $100,000 each Slam.

From Los Angeles Times

I mentioned his first group of nominees earlier this week, none of whom have anything to particularly qualify them for these jobs but who at least have some government experience behind them.

From Salon

Related Words

• arrange
• gather
• meet
• organize