collaboration

American  

[kuh-lab-uh-rey-shuhn] / kəˌlæb əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• collaborations
  plural

1. 

   the act or process of working together or cooperating.

   Chat tools provide opportunity for real-time collaboration and dialogue.

2. a product resulting from working together or cooperating.

   This dictionary is a collaboration of many minds.

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collaboration British  

/ kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of working with another or others on a joint project

2. something created by working jointly with another or others

3. the act of cooperating as a traitor, esp with an enemy occupying one's own country

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Usage

What does collaboration mean? Collaboration is the act of working together, especially on a goal or shared project. It can also be used to refer to a product of collaboration, as in The new single is a  collaboration from the two pop stars. Collaboration is the noun form of the verb collaborate, meaning to work together. Collaboration is often used in a positive context to refer to two or more parties successfully working together on professional or artistic projects. It often implies not just cooperation but sharing and developing of each other’s ideas. Such a joint effort can be described with the adjective collaborative. People who collaborate are called collaborators. Collaboration can also be used in a much more specific way referring to cooperation as a traitor with enemy forces in one’s own country. This is much less commonly used than its general sense. Example: This project would not have happened without close collaboration between all the departments. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• collaborationist
  noun
• noncollaboration
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• collaborations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of collaboration

First recorded in 1855–60; from French, from Late Latin collabōrāt ( us ) ( see collaborate) + French -ion -ion

Explanation

When you join a group of friends to build a huge sandcastle on the beach, your impressive structure is the result of collaboration, or working together toward a common goal. Working with another person — or a group of people — to make something together is collaboration. You can also describe the result of your work, like the elaborately decorated cake you made with your best friend, as a collaboration. During World War II, the word collaboration began being used to mean "working traitorously with an enemy," and became a very serious crime.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

collaboration collaborations

The video, made in collaboration with faceless director Lauzza, features buildings shuffling on beat and other excerpts of British culture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

The work, carried out through a broad collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, could eventually lead to earlier prediction of flare-ups, more precise monitoring and treatment tailored more closely to individual patients.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Morgan Smith and Natasha Dangoor in collaboration with Editor in Chief Emma Tucker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca welcome NICE's decision, but the latter is calling for "strong collaboration" across the healthcare system to ensure "faster, more equitable patient access in the future".

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

But in part because it seemed so seminal and symbolic of sectional cooperation, the Adams-Jefferson tandem stood out as the greatest collaboration of them all.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

With this large quantity of collaborations in his hands, he made it a priority to spotlight these tracks on “Dosis.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

“In pop culture, we have introduced an entirely new fandom experience and destination that leans into things like trading cards and collectibles, but also exclusive collaborations, into one cohesive experience,” Sylvester said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Known for its distinctive bottles and cans, the company built a large following through social media marketing and celebrity collaborations.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Nerds, Nutter Butters and Sour Patch Kids are turning up in sweet collaborations on restaurant menus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Their collaborations with the underground railroad complicated things.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• association
• collusion
• combination
• concert
• participation
• partnership
• teamwork