A crew comprises a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has particular nautical resonances: the tasks involved in operating a ship, particularly a sailing ship, providing numerous specialities within a ship's crew, often organised with a chain of command. Traditional nautical usage strongly distinguishes officers from crew, though the two groups combined form the ship's company. Members of a crew are often referred to by the title "Crew member".

"Crew" is also used colloquially to refer to a small, tight-knit group of friends or associates engaged in criminal activity. Also used in reference to the traditional "unit" of criminals under the supervision of a caporegime in the American Mafia. However, the term is not specific to (Mafia-affiliated) organized crime.

"Crew" also refers to the sport of rowing, where teams row competitively in racing shells.

In Hip-hop

In Hip-hop terminology, crew means a team or group; for example, a b-boy crew, emcee crew, or graffiti crew.

See also

• For a specific sporting usage, see Rowing (sport).
• For filmmaking usage, see Film crew.
• For live music usage, see Road crew.
• For stagecraft usage, see Stage crew.
• For the comic strip, see Motley's Crew.