Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
college (noun)1.
a body of clergy living together and supported by a foundation
2.
a building used for an educational or religious purpose
3.
a) a self-governing constituent body of a university offering living quarters and sometimes instruction but not granting degrees - Balliol and Magdalen Colleges at Oxford called also residential college
b) a preparatory or high school
c) an independent institution of higher learning offering a course of general studies leading to a bachelor's degree , also a university division offering this
d) a part of a university offering a specialized group of courses
e) an institution offering instruction usually in a professional, vocational, or technical field - business college
4.
- company group , specifically an organized body of persons engaged in a common pursuit or having common interests or duties
5.
a) a group of persons considered by law to be a unit
b) a body of electors - compare electoral college
6.
the faculty, students, or administration of a college
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
college (noun)a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest
SYNONIMS:
board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild ( gild), institute, institution, league, order, organization, society, sodalityRELATED WORDS:
collective, commune, community, cooperative; alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership; body, cadre, group; circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, junto, klatch ( klatsch), lot, set; crew, outfit, party, squad, team; branch, chapter, local; faithful, fold, membership; sisterhood, sorority; cabal, camarilla, camorra, confederacy, conspiracy; band, gang, ring; cartel, combine, syndicate