collective

American  

[kuh-lek-tiv] / kəˈlɛk tɪv /

adjective

1. formed by collection.

2. forming a whole; combined.

   the collective assets of a corporation and its subsidiaries.

3. of or characteristic of a group of individuals taken together.

   the collective wishes of the membership.

4. organized according to the principles of collectivism.

   a collective farm.

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noun

• collectives
  plural

1. collective noun.

2. a collective body; group.

3. a business, farm, etc., jointly owned and operated by the members of a group.

4. a unit of organization or the organization in a collectivist system.

collective British  

/ kəˈlɛktɪv /

adjective

1. formed or assembled by collection

2. forming a whole or aggregate

3. of, done by, or characteristic of individuals acting in cooperation

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noun

1. 1. a cooperative enterprise or unit, such as a collective farm

   2. the members of such a cooperative

2. short for collective noun

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• collectiveness
  noun
• noncollective
  adjective
• uncollective
  adjective
• collectively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• collectives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of collective

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English collectif (from Middle French ), from Latin collēctīvus, equivalent to collēct(us) (past participle of colligere; see collect ¹) + -īvus -ive

Explanation

Collective is a word that describes a group of people acting together. A prom might turn into a smashing success through the collective efforts of the student body. The word collective indicates a group, and is often used in opposition to the efforts or will of an individual. Your neighbor who is the only one on the block who refuses to mow her lawn? She's going against the collective. A commune is a type of collective living situation in which several families might live together and contribute for the benefit of the whole. If you work well with others, then you appreciate how collective efforts often have better results.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

collective collectives

The plan envisages slashing the three states' collective water consumption by up to 3.7 billion cubic meters per year until 2036 -- the equivalent of 1.5 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Still jailed in France after being captured in 1994, Ramírez has faded from collective memory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

"We have a collective responsibility on what we buy, what we flush down the toilet."

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The NSO appeared at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night, however, with a collective sigh of relief.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Almost immediately, black elites recognized the opportunity for the individual and collective advancement of Negroes who could present themselves favorably to whites.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

These might include karaoke nights, themed bingo happy hours, and raves, often thrown with well-respected collectives.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

While some schools and conferences have deprioritized NIL collectives, the Big Ten has used them as a recruiting chip, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

Humans cooperate well in close-knit groups—family, friends, professional and civic associations—but struggle immensely in large, abstract collectives that span nations or continents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025

Their ethos, inspired by collectives like the Kitchen and Art Club 2000, centers on art as community infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2025

The number of small farms merged into collectives was a number about equal to the current population of Texas.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• concerted
• corporate
• cumulative
• mutual
• shared
• unified