collective

[kuh-lek-tiv]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR collective ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

formed by collection.

forming a whole; combined: the collective assets of a corporation and its subsidiaries.

of or characteristic of a group of individuals taken together: the collective wishes of the membership.

organized according to the principles of collectivism: a collective farm.

noun

collective noun.

a collective body; aggregate.

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

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

Nearby words

Origin of collective

1400–50; late Middle English collectif (< Middle French) < Latin collēctīvus, equivalent to collēct(us) (past participle of colligere; see collect¹) + -īvus -ive

Related forms

col·lec·tive·ly, adverbnon·col·lec·tive, adjectivenon·col·lec·tive·ly, adverbun·col·lec·tive, adjective

un·col·lec·tive·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for collective

The speaker conjures up centuries of collective sagacity, aligning oneself with an eternal, inarguable good.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We haven't had any real fan reaction yet, but our collective fingers are crossed.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The collective had threatened attacks on theaters if the movie was not pulled.
Hackers: Sony ‘Very Wise’ to Pull Film|The Daily Beast|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Please know she has a very special place in our collective hearts.
The Mystery Death Of A Female Firefighter|Christopher Moraff|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

There was a collective gasp at both the four-letter word and the bitter sentiment it carried.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America|David Yaffe, Scott Saul|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In addition to the large number of collective books of poetry, Zunser has published his poems in: Jd.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century|Leo Wiener
The winter was of the description least favourable to collective boyish sports, as there was no snow and very little frost.
Magnum Bonum|Charlotte M. Yonge
In the chapter on "Collective Behavior" which follows, materials will be presented to exhibit the group in action.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology|Robert E. Park
But it was indirectly perhaps that his work contributed most effectively to the doctrine of the Progress of collective mankind.
The Idea of Progress|J. B. Bury
It giggled till its collective sides must have ached; then it slowly and gaspingly subsided.
The Madigans|Miriam Michelson

British Dictionary definitions for collective

collective

adjective

formed or assembled by collection

forming a whole or aggregate

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

noun

a cooperative enterprise or unit, such as a collective farm
the members of such a cooperative

short for collective noun

Derived Formscollectively, adverbcollectiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for collective

collective

adj.

early 15c., from Middle French collectif, from Latin collectivus, from collectus (see collect). As a noun, short for collective farm (in the USSR) it dates from 1925. collective farm first attested 1919 in translations of Lenin. Collective bargaining coined 1891 by Beatrice Webb; defined in U.S. 1935 by the Wagner Act. Collective noun is recorded from 1510s; collective security first attested 1934 in speech by Winston Churchill.

collective

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of collective

Examples from the Web for collective

collective

adjective

noun

collective