consociation

noun

con·​so·​ci·​a·​tion kən-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shən 

-shē-

1

: association in fellowship or alliance

2

: an association of churches or religious societies

3

: an ecological community with a single dominant species

consociational

kən-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

-shē-

adjective

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1