collate

American  

[kuh-layt, koh-, ko-, koh-layt, kol-ayt] / kəˈleɪt, koʊ-, kɒ-, ˈkoʊ leɪt, ˈkɒl eɪt /

verb (used with object)

• collates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• collated,
  past participle,  past
• collating
  present participle

1. to gather or arrange in their proper sequence (the pages of a report, the sheets of a book, the pages of several sets of copies, etc.).

2. Bookbinding. to verify the arrangement of (the gathered sheets of a book), usually by inspecting the signature at the foot of the first page of each sheet or the mark printed on the back of each sheet or on the spine of each signature.

3. to compare (texts, statements, etc.) in order to note points of agreement or disagreement.

4. Bibliography. to verify the number and order of the sheets of (a volume) as a means of determining its completeness.

5. Computers. to merge (sequenced data from two or more data sets or files) to produce a new sequenced data set or file.

6. Ecclesiastical. to present by collation, as to a benefice.

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collate British  

/ kɒˈleɪt, kə- /

verb

1. to examine and compare (texts, statements, etc) in order to note points of agreement and disagreement

2. (in library work) to check the number and order of (the pages of a book)

3. bookbinding

   1. to check the sequence of (the sections of a book) after gathering

   2. a nontechnical word for gather

4. (often foll by to) Christianity to appoint (an incumbent) to a benefice

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• collator
  noun
• collatable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• collating
  present
• collated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• collate
  simple
• collates
  simple
• have collated
  perfect
• has collated
  perfect
• am collating
  progressive
• are collating
  progressive
• is collating
  progressive
• have been collating
  perfect progressive
• has been collating
  perfect progressive

Past

• collated
  simple
• had collated
  perfect
• was collating
  progressive
• were collating
  progressive
• had been collating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will collate
  simple
• will have collated
  perfect
• will be collating
  progressive
• will have been collating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of collate

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin collātus “borne together,” past participle of conferre “to bear together,” from con- con- + ferre “to bear, bring, carry”; for the suppletive element -lātus, earlier tlātus (unrecorded), see also thole ², tolerate

Explanation

Although the verb collate specifically means to put pages in a correct order, the word can be used more generally to mean to put anything into the proper sequence. Collating can mean the mindless job of putting papers in order before stapling them, or it can mean the high-brow analytical job of critically comparing multiple texts. Both usually involve paper, only the latter involves higher-order thinking. "The genealogists collated data from several sources, which made them realize, based on the dates, that Henry the VIII could not have been on the family tree."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

collate collates collated collating

But if AI can collate and analyze data to capture individual preferences at scale we may no longer need the assumption of the rational actor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Fekkai decided to collate the data after buying her own tickets for the Cowboy Carter tour.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2025

On that day, I followed Nikki’s careful instructions to type and collate the lines of poetry I’d scrawled in composition books and notepads for years and leave the rest to her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2024

Rhian Bowen Davies, the Welsh government's former national adviser for violence against women, said there should be a "requirement on universities to regularly, consistently collate data".

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024

She pushes the button to collate the syllabus but forgets to push the button for staples.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

All Flock did was come up with a very user-friendly system that collates all the information quickly, with good search options.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The complex, diverse ecosystem created by European reef-building oysters has collapsed, according to the recent assessment we submitted to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which collates the statuses of ecosystems and species.

From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2025

The other pieces of paper include notes and thoughts, which Servais collects and collates over the offseason.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

The account collates and tweets out data from a number of agencies that track natural disasters - often releasing information faster than even they do.

From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2024

A bureau of information collates all available data regarding the subject of foreign trade, and distributes, upon application, reports tending to the extension of American trade abroad.

From Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

There's a website where all the available properties are collated; crucially, all of the financial incentives are also listed.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Analysts expected an underlying profit around $12.66 billion, according to a consensus estimate collated by Visible Alpha.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Underlying earnings rose 43% from a year earlier to $6.85 billion, topping the $6.61 billion consensus estimate collated by Visible Alpha.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

A half dozen recent polls collated by USA Today as the country approaches the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence showed a majority believed the country's best years were behind it.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

De Vries also pored through Darwin's books, and he latched onto the theory of pangenesis—the idea that “particles of information” from the body were somehow collected and collated in sperm and eggs.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

A central part of its work has been to gather testimony from Sami people about their experiences, collating some 300 interviews and written accounts.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

The BLS spends the days before a release collating the data and assembling the public report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

Now they can do the same with the stats on female players that they began collating in 2021.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2025

“My mother included us in everything that she did, and I mean everything. I remember as a child collating pages for her second book. It was wonderful.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2025

Harker has gone back, and is again collating his material.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker