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There is an English word that begins with "con" and means "a community of experts in a certain field". I am not able to recollect that word. Can someone please help me?

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StackExchange? :D – wuputah Sep 20 '10 at 5:52

6 Answers

up vote 21 down vote accepted

Are you thinking of cognoscenti?

–plural noun, singular -te /-ti/
persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a particular field, esp. in the fine arts, literature, and world of fashion.

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Yes, yes, yes! You guys rock! :D – Zhak Maarli Sep 10 '10 at 15:24
up vote 8 down vote

Connoisseur(s), maybe?

Which is originally a french word, BTW.

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Yep, that's the French way of writing "cognoscenti". Both come from Latin cognoscere ("to become well-acquainted with"), from com- ("with") and gnoscere ("recognize"; that's also where the English word "notice" comes from). – RegDwighт♦ Sep 21 '10 at 11:55
I'd just like to point the interesting fact that in modern french it would be then connaisseur but connoisseur was definitely a french word in the middle age. – Eldroß Nov 18 '10 at 16:20
up vote 4 down vote

"Condescending gits" is how I would describe a collection of people who think they are experts, but that is not quite what was asked.

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An answer this funny ought to be a comment. ;) – Andrew Grimm Dec 9 '12 at 9:50
up vote 3 down vote

Convicts: community of experts in crime.

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But wouldn't the fact that they are convicts cause them to not be experts in crime? Since they are convicts, it is implied that they have been jailed for their crimes, hence they have failed. – bakoyaro Dec 14 '10 at 4:04
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@bakoyaro, unfortunately that is an incredibly naive POV. Your false assumption is that a criminal can only go to gaol once, and hence has "failed". Each time they go to gaol - it's a university where new teachers/skills are in abundant supply. – Anonymous Type Dec 14 '10 at 21:11
+1 for the reply, but I'm not sold on 'experts'. I'll meet you have way and suggest 'Community of professionals in crime'. Also, I'm not familiar with 'gaol' is that an acronym or initialization? – bakoyaro Dec 14 '10 at 21:34
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Gaol is the correct Australian (and afaik BER) spelling of the word American English word : Jail. – Anonymous Type Dec 20 '10 at 23:45
up vote 2 down vote

"Pundits" might apply here. A loan word to english from the hindi "pandit" for a Hindu scholar of the Brahmin caste. The term is used in contemporary english for a person with wide knowledge of a particular field, as in "political pundit(s)".

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up vote 0 down vote

"Coryphaei", from Ancient Greek κορυφαῖος (koruphaios, "leader") - those who are the best in the certain field.

German "die Koryphäen" have exactly the meaning you're looking for. It's not widely used.

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protected by RegDwighт♦ Jul 2 '12 at 21:22

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