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

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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

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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

"This Saturday, October 17, will be a celebration of our collective power. Walk together to the polls. Organize rides. Bring your neighbors, friends, and family," she urged participants.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The Wondaween name comes from Monáe’s creative collective, the Wondaland Arts Society, which encompasses Wondaland Pictures, Records, Games and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The collective efforts of the BBC readers saw them get five correct results with no exact scores, to end up on 50 points.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Through most of history, reading was collective and oral, not individual and silent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

I will make myself an indispensable part of her little collective, and I will receive enough water to survive.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Finally, if you’re open to joining a group of fellow photographers, I suggest following Instagram pages for collectives like L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 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

Jazz haunts with debts owed to its creators, and has a knack for revivals, collectives, new venues in the old forms, and stalwart clubs revivified by benefactors and grant funding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026

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

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Related Words

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

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