noun
- Plural of artel; cooperative associations or communes, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe, where members pool labor and resources.
Usage: historical; chiefly Russian/Eastern European context
Examples
- The artels of 19th-century Russia allowed peasants to share farming responsibilities.
- Workers organized themselves into artels to increase their bargaining power.
- Historical records document how artels functioned as self-governing economic units.
- The cooperative movement drew inspiration from traditional artels in Eastern Europe.