collaborative

[kuh-lab-uh-rey-tiv, -er-uh-tiv]

adjective

1. characterized or accomplished by cooperation or working together.

   collaborative methods;

   a collaborative report.

2. relating to or involving several organizations, groups, people, etc., working together for a common purpose.

   My doctor is now part of a collaborative practice.

   Modern policing is trending toward collaborative law enforcement, where police officers work hand-in-hand with community leaders and neighborhood associations.

noun

1. a group of people working together for a common purpose.

   The collaborative of doctors was able to gather important new information about the illness by pooling anonymized patient data.

Other Word Forms

• collaboratively adverb
• uncollaborative adjective
• uncollaboratively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of collaborative¹

collaborate + -ive

Example Sentences

Smaller open spaces with desks would be surrounded by different types of workstations, including private offices and group meeting rooms but also spaces for solo work and two-person lounges for collaborative work.

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But as the pair performed their collaborative album “Life is Beautiful,” they were in perfect stride.

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Yet it is hard to argue against the synergies and efficiencies of a more collaborative statistical approach.

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Mr. Apatow includes memorabilia—marked-up scripts, magazine interviews—from virtually everything he’s worked on, and the reader’s pleasure comes from poring over cherished mementos from such a prolific, occasionally manic, life as a collaborative artist.

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He was able to appreciate playing to Alex’s swagger and charm and embracing the collaborative spirit of the set.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does collaborative mean?

Collaborative is an adjective that describes an effort in which people work together (that is, one in which they collaborate).Collaborative is often used in a positive context to refer to two or more parties successfully working together on a goal or shared project. It’s also increasingly used as a noun for an organized joint effort.Example: The groundbreaking new album was a collaborative effort by the two musicians, who usually have very different styles.