special-interest group

[spesh-uh l in-ter-ist, in-trist] /ˈspɛʃ əl ˈɪn tər ɪst, ˈɪn trɪst/

noun

Also called special interest. a body of persons, corporation, or industry that seeks or receives benefits or privileged treatment, especially through legislation.

Digital Technology. a subgroup within a user group where members share information or research in specialized fields.

Abbreviation: SIG.

Origin

1920-25

special interest group in Technology

(SIG) One of several technical areas, sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery. Well-known SIGs include SIGPLAN (the Special Interest Group on Programming Languages), SIGARCH (the Special Interest Group for Computer Architecture) and SIGGRAPH (the Special Interest Group for Computer Graphics).
(1994-10-27)