consociation

Meanings

1. Associating, or coming together in a union; (countable) an instance of this.
2. Intimate companionship or fellowship; (countable) an instance of this.
3. A confederation of Christian churches or organizations.
4. A voluntary, permanent council made up of representatives of neighbouring Congregational churches for mutual advice and co-operation in ecclesiastical matters; also, a meeting of pastors and delegates from churches thus united.
5. A subdivision of an association, made up chiefly of organisms of a single species.
6. A power-sharing arrangement over territory entered into by competing groups.
7. An alliance; a confederation.

Etymology

PIE word *ḱóm Borrowed from Latin cōnsociātiōnem, the accusative singular of cōnsociātiō (“alliance; association, union”), from cōnsociō (“to make common; to associate; to connect, join (in), unite; to agree with; to share”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or the results of actions). Cōnsociō is derived from con- (prefix indicating a being or bringing together of several things) + sociō (“to ally, associate; to join, unite; to share in”) (from socius (“associated; joining in, sharing, partaking; akin, kindred, related; allied, confederate, leagued, united”, adjective), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”)).