collection

American  

[kuh-lek-shuhn] / kəˈlɛk ʃən /

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.

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collection British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of collection

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

Explanation

A collection is a group of things, often a group created by someone. For example, many kids have a collection of comic books. Notice the word collect in collection. If you like to collect — that is, gather — things, chances are you might have a collection of some sort. Some common types of collections are of books, stamps, and dolls. You can also refer to a museum's "collection of art." While you might call a group of people a gathering, you would call a group of rare coins a collection.

Example Sentences

GFL, which provides waste collection, recycling, soil remediation and environmental services, will acquire all of Secure’s shares for C$24.75 worth of cash and stock.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Ten stories written in as many years, the collection serves as a document of Khong’s thirties, a time when circles shrink and choices narrow.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Located in central Israel, Tinshemet Cave has produced an exceptional collection of archaeological and human remains.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

For one, your debt balance will actually increase because you’ll be charged collection fees.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

Jeremy looked at the collection of material— the box, the bag and the scroll —and wondered if he should add Tiamat's tear.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

Related Words

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