collective

[ kuh-lek-tiv ]
See synonyms for: collectivecollectivescollectively on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. formed by collection.

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

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

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

noun
  1. a collective body; group.

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

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

Origin of collective

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English collectif (from Middle French ), from Latin collēctīvus, equivalent to collēct(us) (past participle of colligere; see collect1) + -īvus -ive

Other words from collective

  • col·lec·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·col·lec·tive, adjective
  • un·col·lec·tive, adjective

Words Nearby collective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use collective in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for collective

collective

/ (kəˈlɛktɪv) /


adjective
  1. formed or assembled by collection

  2. forming a whole or aggregate

  1. 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

  1. short for collective noun

Derived forms of collective

  • collectively, adverb
  • collectiveness, 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