Collegialities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collaborative relationship where colleagues share responsibilities and decisions in an organization or institution
2. the mutual respect and support that exists among fellow members of an academic or professional community
3. the practice of participating equally and actively in a joint enterprise, enhancing teamwork and collective success

Etymology: "Collegialities" is simply the plural of "collegiality," which is itself built from "collegial" plus the suffix "-ity." The plural of an abstract noun like this is used when speaking of several distinct instances or kinds of the quality, such as the various cooperative relationships among colleagues in a profession. "Collegial" comes from "college" in the sense of a body of people sharing a common office or purpose, and it describes a relationship of equality and shared authority among such colleagues. The suffix "-ity" traces back through Old French "-ite" and Latin "-itās," a noun-forming ending that turns an adjective into a name for a quality or state, so "collegiality" names the condition of being collegial.