🤝 A group 🏛️ Shared government

consociation

9.9

A way of running government where different groups, like religious communities, share power

noun
/ˌkɒnsəˈkeɪʃən/

Specialized

: consociación

Lebanon is often cited as an example of a country governed by consociation among its major religious groups.

Examples

The peace agreement established a consociation to ensure all communities had a voice in government.
Some scholars argue that consociation can help prevent conflict in deeply divided societies.
The concept of consociation is vital.
A consociation is essential for unity.
The peace agreement established a consociation to ensure all communities had a voice in government.
Lebanon is often cited as an example of a country governed by consociation among its major religious groups.
Some scholars argue that consociation can help prevent conflict in deeply divided societies.

Synonyms

consociationalism

vsconsociation

Specialized

9.9

A system where leaders share power with different ethnic or religious groups to keep peace and give fair representation

is a broad system of groups sharing power to govern together

Antonyms

dictatorship

157 4.8

A government where one person or a small group has all power and does not allow political opposition

autocracy

5 8.2

A government in which one person has all power

Surface Forms

consociation singular

consociations plural

Morphology

consociation = consociate (semi-transparent) = con + soci + ation

Although the word is formed regularly from the same elements, this sense is a specialized political-science meaning (power-sharing among groups) that is not obvious to all learners.

Etymology

The word consociation comes from Latin parts con- 'together' and soci- 'partner', as in associate and society, and this gives a picture of different groups joining. That's why in politics a consociation means different groups 'governing together' and sharing power to keep the peace.