collect

¹ American  

[kuh-lekt] / kəˈlɛkt /

verb (used with object)

1. to gather together; assemble.

   The professor collected the students' exams.

   Synonyms:

   aggregate, amass

   Antonyms:

   disperse, disband, assign, allot

2. to accumulate; make a collection of.

   to collect stamps.

   Antonyms:

   scatter, distribute

3. to receive or compel payment of.

   to collect a bill.

4. to regain control of (oneself or one's thoughts, faculties, composure, or the like).

   At the news of her promotion, she took a few minutes to collect herself.

   Synonyms:

   calm, compose

5. to call for and take with one: They collected their mail.

   He drove off to collect his guests.

   They collected their mail.

6. Manège. to bring (a horse) into a collected attitude.

7. Archaic. to infer.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to gather together; assemble.

   The students collected in the assembly hall.

2. to accumulate.

   Rainwater collected in the barrel.

3. to receive payment (often followed byon ).

   He collected on the damage to his house.

4. to gather or bring together books, stamps, coins, etc., usually as a hobby.

   He's been collecting for years.

5. Manège. (of a horse) to come into a collected attitude.

adjective

1. requiring payment by the recipient: a telegram sent collect.

   a collect telephone call;

   a telegram sent collect.

collect ² American  

[kol-ekt] / ˈkɒl ɛkt /

noun

1. any of certain brief prayers used in Western churches especially before the epistle in the communion service.

---

collect ¹ British  

/ kəˈlɛkt /

verb

1. to gather together or be gathered together

2. to accumulate (stamps, books, etc) as a hobby or for study

3. (tr) to call for or receive payment of (taxes, dues, etc)

4. (tr) to regain control of (oneself, one's emotions, etc) as after a shock or surprise

   he collected his wits

5. (tr) to fetch; pick up

   collect your own post

   he collected the children after school

6. slang to receive large sums of money, as from an investment

   he really collected when the will was read

7. informal (tr) to collide with; be hit by

8. the US term for cash on delivery

---

adverb

1. (of telephone calls) on a reverse-charge basis

noun

1. informal a winning bet

collect ² British  

/ ˈkɒlɛkt /

noun

1. Christianity a short Church prayer generally preceding the lesson or epistle in Communion and other services

---

Related Words

See gather.

Etymology

Origin of collect¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin collēctus (past participle of colligere “to collect”), equivalent to col- “with, together” + leg- (stem of legere “to gather”) + -tus past participle suffix; see col- ¹

Origin of collect²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English collecte, from Old French collecte, colete, and Medieval Latin collecta, short for ōrātiō ad collēctam “prayer at collection”; see origin at collect ¹

Explanation

The verb collect describes gathering or bringing something together. Charity organizations often collect warm coats for people in need. Other people who want to help those in need seek monetary donations. If you volunteer for a charity, you may collect on behalf of the charity — meaning you get donations. Collect can also refer to getting payment for money that is owed. If you owe money to someone, eventually he'll find you and say, "I'm here to collect."

Example Sentences

By the end of its planned five year primary mission, Roman is expected to collect an enormous archive containing roughly 20,000 terabytes of data.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Petition circulators are typically paid per signature of registered voter they collect.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Polymarket’s bigger exchange, which it says is based offshore, doesn’t comply with U.S. laws that require brokers to collect information about individual traders.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Only a few hundred dispirited Chelsea fans were still inside Wembley as Cole Palmer and Co trudged up the steps to collect their losers' medals following their FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

“I didn’t believe her. Who would come here to collect a potion that couldn’t be transported off the island?”

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• amass
• assemble
• compile
• gather
• save