collective

English

Etymology

From Latin collectivus, from collectus, past participle of colligere (“to collect”), from com- (“together”) + legere (“to gather”). Compare French collectif.

Adjective

collective (not comparable)

1. Formed by gathering or collecting; gathered into a mass, sum, or body; congregated or aggregated; as, the collective body of a nation.
2. (obsolete): Deducing consequences; reasoning; inferring.
3. (grammar): Expressing a collection or aggregate of individuals, by a singular form; as, a collective name or noun, like assembly, army, jury, etc.
4. Tending to collect; forming a collection.

   Local is his throne . . . to fix a point, A central point, collective of his sons. -Young.

5. Having plurality of origin or authority; as, in diplomacy, a note signed by the representatives of several governments is called a collective note.

Derived terms

• collectiveness

Related terms

• collect
• collectible
• collection
• collectivity
• collector

Translations

in grammar

• Bulgarian: събирателен (bg) (sǎbiratelen)
• Dutch: collectief (nl)

• Polish: zbiorowy (pl) m
• Russian: собирательное (ru) (sobiratel'noje) n
• Spanish: colectivo (es)

• Hebrew: שתופי (he) (shitûphi)

Noun

collective (plural collectives)

1. A farm owned by a collection of people.
2. (grammar) A collective noun or name.
3. (by extension) A group dedicated to a particular cause or interest.
   • 2005, Zoya Kocur, Simon Leung, Theory in contemporary art since 1985 (page 76)

     There are, however, a number of contemporary artists and art collectives that have defined their practice precisely around the facilitation of dialogue among diverse communities.

Derived terms

• collectivize
• collective noun

See also

• collective fruit (Botany), that which is formed from a mass of flowers, as the mulberry, pineapple, and the like; -- called also multiple fruit.

References

• collective in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• collective in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• collective at OneLook Dictionary Search

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French

Adjective

collective

1. feminine form of collectif

   Après une belle action collective, l'équipe a enfin marqué un but.

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Latin

Adjective

collectīve

1. vocative masculine singular of collectīvus