1. (n.) A collection, body, or society of persons engaged in common pursuits, or having common duties and interests, and sometimes, by charter, peculiar rights and privileges; as, a college of heralds; a college of electors; a college of bishops.

2. (n.) A society of scholars or friends of learning, incorporated for study or instruction, esp. in the higher branches of knowledge; as, the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and many American colleges.

3. (n.) A building, or number of buildings, used by a college.

4. (n.) Fig.: A community.

Bund Rochdale cooperative academe academia alliance alma mater assemblage association axis band bloc body caboose can chokey coalition college of engineering combination combine common market community college confederacy confederation consumer cooperative cooperative cooperative society corps council credit union customs union degree-granting institution economic community federation four-year college free trade area gang graduate school group grouping hoosegow institute of technology ivied halls journalism school jug junior college law school league lockup machine medical school mob multiversity normal normal school partnership political machine postgraduate school prison ring rock pile school of communications school of education society stir two-year college union university university college varsity