The word 集团 is formed through the conceptual and visual merging of two individual characters: 集 (jí), which means to gather, collect, or assemble, and 团 (tuán), which means a mass, ball, or group. The formation works by combining their core ideas, 集 provides the action of bringing together, and 团 provides the image of the resulting cohesive, rounded mass, to create a new, compound concept. This fusion metaphorically represents a unified, organized bloc formed from gathered individuals or parts, like a conglomerate or a tightly-knit organization.