kongsi
/ˈkɔŋ.si/
kongsi noun: a benevolent organization of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname.
Noun
kongsi (plural kongsis or kongsi)
- A benevolent organization of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname.
- By 1970, for instance, the state authorities considered these kongsi to be unfit and unhygienic for living, and they were ordered to be dismantled.1998, Zawawi Ibrahim, The Malay Labourer
- The term kongsi loosely referred to any association of the Chinese, ranging from a business partnership to governments in West Borneo, secret societies and clan associations.2003, Wu Xiao An, Chinese Business in the Making of a Malay State, 1882-1941
- Synonyms:
- association
Synonyms of kongsi
Forms of kongsi
| plural | kongsis |
|---|---|
| plural | kongsi |
Origin of kongsi
Borrowed from Hokkien 公司 (kong-si, “company”). See also Hokkien 公班衙 (kong-pan-gêe / kong-pan-gê), English British East India Company, Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (“Dutch East India Company”, literally “United East India Company”).
Questions about kongsi
- What does kongsi mean?
- Kongsi means a benevolent organization of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname.
- What part of speech is kongsi?
- Kongsi is a noun.
- How do you pronounce kongsi?
- Kongsi is pronounced /ˈkɔŋ.si/.
- What is the plural of kongsi?
- The plural of kongsi is kongsis.
Words near kongsi in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: kongsi (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “kongsi.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/kongsi. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.