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solidarity

sol-ih-DARE-ih-tee /ˌsɒlɪˈdærɪti/

nounC1IELTSGRE

FormalPolitical

Unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group.

Stronger than 'agreement'; it implies standing together in the face of opposition or hardship.

The story behind the word. Originally a French legal term, 'obligatio in solidum,' which meant a 'joint and several liability'—where every member of a group was responsible for the debts of the others. It was famously adopted by the Polish trade union 'Solidarność' in the 1980s to oppose communist rule.

Word relationships

unity: Unity is the state of being one; solidarity is the active support for each other within that oneness.
cohesion: Cohesion is a more scientific or sociological term for how well a group sticks together.

discord: Discord is lack of agreement, while solidarity is total agreement and support.
division: Division is the splitting of a group, the opposite of solidarity's binding force.

Commonly confused with

solitude: Solitude is being alone; solidarity is being together.

Collocations

show solidarity
act in solidarity
international solidarity
social solidarity

Example sentences

"Solidarity does not assume that our struggles are the same struggles, or that our pain is the same pain." A quote on social justice.
"The factory workers went on strike in solidarity with their colleagues who had been unfairly dismissed." Labor movements.

Memory hook

Solidarity makes a group 'Solid'. Standing solid together.

When not to use

Don't use it for casual agreement on a minor topic (e.g., 'We have solidarity on which pizza to order' is too dramatic).

Fun facts

The word became a global political buzzword after the success of the Polish Solidarity movement.