Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Unity of purpose, interest, or sympathy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Mutual responsibility existing between two or more persons; communion of interests and responsibilities.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An entire union or consolidation of interests and responsibilities; fellowship; community.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable A bond of unity between individuals, united around a common goal or against a common enemy, such as the unifying principle that defines the labor movement.
  • noun uncountable Willingness to give psychological and/or material support when another person is in a difficult position or needs affection.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a union of interests or purposes or sympathies among members of a group

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French solidarité, from solidaire, interdependent, from Old French, in common, from Latin solidus, solid, whole; see solid.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French solidarité ("solidarity"), from solidaire ("characterized by solidarity"), from Latin solidum ("whole sum"), neuter of solidus ("solid").

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Examples

Comments

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  • "And whatever its shortcomings as a means to social change, protest movements keep reinventing carnival. ... The media often deride the carnival spirit of such protests, as if it were a self-indulgent distraction from the serious political point. But seasoned organizers know that gratification cannot be deferred until after 'the revolution.' ... People must find, in their movement, the immediate joy of solidarity, if only because, in the face of overwhelming state and corporate power, solidarity is their sole source of strength."

    —Barbara Ehrenreich, Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2006), 259

    March 18, 2009