collect
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to gather together; assemble.
The professor collected the students' exams.
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to accumulate; make a collection of.
to collect stamps.
- Antonyms:
- scatter, distribute
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to receive or compel payment of.
to collect a bill.
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to regain control of (oneself or one's thoughts, faculties, composure, or the like).
At the news of her promotion, she took a few minutes to collect herself.
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to call for and take with one: They collected their mail.
He drove off to collect his guests.
They collected their mail.
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Manège. to bring (a horse) into a collected attitude.
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Archaic. to infer.
verb (used without object)
-
to gather together; assemble.
The students collected in the assembly hall.
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to accumulate.
Rainwater collected in the barrel.
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to receive payment (often followed byon ).
He collected on the damage to his house.
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to gather or bring together books, stamps, coins, etc., usually as a hobby.
He's been collecting for years.
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Manège. (of a horse) to come into a collected attitude.
adjective
noun
verb
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to gather together or be gathered together
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to accumulate (stamps, books, etc) as a hobby or for study
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(tr) to call for or receive payment of (taxes, dues, etc)
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(tr) to regain control of (oneself, one's emotions, etc) as after a shock or surprise
he collected his wits
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(tr) to fetch; pick up
collect your own post
he collected the children after school
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slang to receive large sums of money, as from an investment
he really collected when the will was read
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informal (tr) to collide with; be hit by
-
the US term for cash on delivery
adverb
noun
noun
Synonym Usage
See gather.
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has collectedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have collectedperfect
-
has been collectingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is collectingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
are collectingprogressive
-
am collectingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been collectingperfect progressive
-
collectssingular 3rd person
-
collectingparticiple
Past
-
had collectedperfect
-
were collectingprogressive plural
-
had been collectingperfect progressive
-
collectedsimple
-
was collectingprogressive singular
-
collectedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of collect1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin collēctus (past participle of colligere “to collect”), equivalent to col- “with, together” + leg- (stem of legere “to gather”) + -tus past participle suffix; see col- 1
Origin of collect2
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English collecte, from Old French collecte, colete, and Medieval Latin collecta, short for ōrātiō ad collēctam “prayer at collection”; see origin at collect 1
Explanation
The verb collect describes gathering or bringing something together. Charity organizations often collect warm coats for people in need. Other people who want to help those in need seek monetary donations. If you volunteer for a charity, you may collect on behalf of the charity — meaning you get donations. Collect can also refer to getting payment for money that is owed. If you owe money to someone, eventually he'll find you and say, "I'm here to collect."
Vocabulary lists containing collect
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme
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"A Natural Balance" and "In My Dreams"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Joel Galvez, right, heads to his warehouse with an assistant to collect dresses for delivery.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Their customers finance the projects, and they often collect deposits or milestone payments before anything ships.
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
In these regions, solar X-rays are weaker, which makes it harder to collect the signals needed to identify surface elements.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026
I must wonder: If the real Jay Leno, known for his collection of classic cars, plays a character named Jay Limo in the film, does Jay Limo also . . . collect cars?
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
I collect a sampling of the soil and bring it back inside my system’s chemical laboratory.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
