collection

[kuh-lek-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of collecting.

2. something that is collected; a group of objects or an amount of material accumulated in one location, especially for some purpose or as a result of some process: a collection of unclaimed hats in the checkroom;

   a stamp collection;

   a collection of unclaimed hats in the checkroom;

   a collection of books on Churchill.

   Synonyms: store, hoard, pile, heap, mass, aggregation, accumulation

3. the works of art constituting the holdings of an art museum.

   a history of the museum and of the collection.

4. the gathered or exhibited works of a single painter, sculptor, etc..

   an excellent Picasso collection.

5. collections, the various holdings of an art museum organized by category, as painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, or film.

   the director of the collections.

6. the clothes or other items produced by a designer, especially for a seasonal line.

   the spring collection.

7. a sum of money collected, especially for charity or church use.

   Synonyms: alms, contribution(s)

8. Manège.,  act of bringing or coming into a collected attitude.

collection

/ kəˈlɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of collecting

2. a number of things collected or assembled together

3. a selection of clothes, esp as presented by a particular designer for a specified season

4. something gathered into a mass or pile; accumulation

   a collection of rubbish

5. a sum of money collected or solicited, as in church

6. removal, esp regular removal of letters from a postbox

7. (often plural) (at Oxford University) a college examination or an oral report by a tutor

Other Word Forms

• collectional adjective
• noncollection noun
• precollection noun
• subcollection noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of collection¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English colleccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin collēctiōn-, stem of collēctiō “a gathering together,” from collēct(us) “gathered together” (past participle of colligere; collect ¹ ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

The Broad, home to the vast art collection of Eli and Edythe Broad, aimed to deliver world-class art to the masses for free.

From Los Angeles Times

Another piece, created by artist Rosy Cortez, who has been featured in several exhibitions, was purchased by an anonymous donor and added to the center’s permanent collection.

From Los Angeles Times

Viewers might remember the scene where Meryl Streep’s fashion magazine editrix Miranda Priestley purses her lips at one of the ugliest dresses she’s seen in years, during a preview of a designer’s new collection.

From Salon

However, the prices of some goods eased such as clothing and footwear which the BRC said was "driven in part by retailers discounting the last of their summer collections".

From BBC

Right-wing organizations are running a data collection campaign in the name of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist killed last week.

From Salon

Related Words

• assemblage 
• assortment 
• compilation 
• lot 
• number 
• selection 
• set 
• store