College
/ˈkɒlɪdʒ/noun
An educational institution or a constituent part of a university.
Did you know?“College” comes from Latin collegium, meaning an association or guild, from col- “together” + leg- “to gather,” the same root family behind words of choosing and collecting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“to gather, collect, choose”
Latin
Latin
collegium
“a body of associates, guild, company”
Late Latin
Latin
collegia
“associations, corporations”
Old French
Old French
colège
“a community or society; later a school”
Middle English
English
college
“a society, guild, or body of persons living together under common rules”
Modern English
English
college
“an institution of higher learning or a constituent school within a university”