General term for a meeting or get-together, often informal or community-oriented.
At the neighborhood association meeting, we discussed plans for the summer festival.
Historical or rural context; a formal gathering of villagers to decide community matters.
江戸時代の村では、寄り合いで年貢の割り当てを決めていた。
In Edo-period villages, the village assembly decided the allocation of the annual tribute.
sumo wrestlers approaching each other
Sumo term for the moment when two wrestlers step forward and engage at the start of a bout.
両力士は寄り合いから激しい攻防を繰り広げた。
The two wrestlers engaged in fierce offense and defense from the initial clash.
motley collection of people; scratch team; hodgepodge group
Standard spelling with okurigana; the most common written form.
Abbreviated spelling; mostly found in older texts or fixed expressions.
Variant spelling without the first okurigana; less common but still seen.
Compound of 寄り (yori, 'approaching, gathering', continuative form of 寄る) and 合い (ai, 'meeting, joining', continuative form of 合う). Literally 'gathering together'.